Majors
Best Colleges for Forestry, by Earnings
44 of the colleges we track award a bachelor's degree in Forestry, about 1,056 degrees a year. Across the 31 that report earnings, graduates make a median of $58,499 four years after finishing.
| Rank | College | State | Median earnings, 4 years out | Degrees a year | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State University | NC | $86,357 | 72 | 41.7% |
| 2 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | CA | $79,849 | 44 | 98.2% |
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $77,419 | 46 | 31.3% |
| 4 | University of Georgia | GA | $68,965 | 13 | 37.7% |
| 5 | Louisiana Tech University | LA | $65,941 | 34 | 86.4% |
| 6 | Alabama A & M University | AL | $64,749 | 4 | 58% |
| 7 | Auburn University | AL | $64,704 | 31 | 45.9% |
| 8 | West Virginia University | WV | $64,568 | 21 | 89% |
| 9 | University of Idaho | ID | $64,392 | 36 | 75.5% |
| 10 | Virginia Tech | VA | $64,204 | 81 | 54.8% |
| 11 | Clemson University | SC | $63,764 | 21 | 38.3% |
| 12 | Texas A&M University | TX | $63,468 | 9 | 57.4% |
| 13 | Colorado State University | CO | $62,919 | 27 | 88.5% |
| 14 | The University of Montana | MT | $60,526 | 19 | 95.9% |
| 15 | University of Minnesota | MN | $58,651 | 16 | 79.8% |
| 16 | Mississippi State University | MS | $58,499 | 37 | 77.6% |
| 17 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | GA | $57,678 | 35 | 75.7% |
| 18 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | NY | $57,664 | 22 | 63.3% |
| 19 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | $57,436 | 25 | 41.6% |
| 20 | Purdue University | IN | $56,754 | 18 | 49.9% |
| 21 | University of Maine | ME | $56,124 | 18 | 96.6% |
| 22 | Michigan Technological University | MI | $55,912 | 17 | 92.4% |
| 23 | Stephen F Austin State University | TX | $55,786 | 41 | 94% |
| 24 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | WI | $55,724 | 56 | 91.8% |
| 25 | Michigan State University | MI | $55,724 | 23 | 84.8% |
| 26 | Iowa State University | IA | $52,650 | 30 | 88.7% |
| 27 | Northern Arizona University | AZ | $52,191 | 37 | 89.6% |
| 28 | University of Kentucky | KY | $51,331 | 13 | 92.9% |
| 29 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | IL | $50,394 | 32 | 86.9% |
| 30 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | NY | $49,291 | 19 | 76.5% |
| 31 | University of Florida | FL | $48,755 | 48 | 24.2% |
13 more colleges award this degree but have no earnings figure, usually because the program is small.
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Frequently asked questions
Which college has the highest-paid Forestry graduates?
North Carolina State University ($86,357), California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt ($79,849), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($77,419), University of Georgia ($68,965), Louisiana Tech University ($65,941) report the highest median earnings four years after graduation.
How much do Forestry majors make?
The median across 31 colleges is $58,499 four years after graduation. By college it runs from $48,755 to $86,357.
Which colleges have the biggest Forestry programs?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: Virginia Tech (81), North Carolina State University (72), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (56), University of Florida (48), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (46).
Does a higher-earning program mean a better program?
Not on its own. Earnings reflect where graduates live, what jobs they take, and who enrolled in the first place, as well as the teaching. The figures cover only graduates who received federal financial aid, and small programs are left out, so a college missing from this list may still have a strong department.
Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release, federal program category "Forestry". Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after a bachelor's degree.
