Forestry: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 36 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Forestry pays
Career outlook for Forestry graduates
The job market for the occupations Forestry graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers | 65,400 | +2.5% | $59,330 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Forest and conservation technicians | 33,800 | -3.2% | $54,310 | Associate's degree |
| Conservation scientists | 28,500 | +3.4% | $67,950 | Bachelor's degree |
| Foresters | 13,800 | +1.2% | $70,660 | Bachelor's degree |
| Forest and conservation workers | 10,800 | -4.7% | $43,680 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary | 1,600 | +4.0% | $100,830 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Forestry vs similar majors
How Forestry stacks up against the closest fields in Natural Resources & Conservation on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Forestry Natural Resources & Conservation · this major | Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 50 C | 44 D | 41 D | 24 F |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Break-even | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $60,834 | $60,061 | $58,196 | $47,738 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $44,838 | $42,493 | $37,220 | $33,112 |
| ROI vs cost | +100% | +85% | +64% | -66% |
| Typical debt | $19,678 | $26,146 | $22,962 | $23,149 |
| Colleges offering it | 36 | 44 | 270 | 9 |
Forestry earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Forestry
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Certificate | $75,601 | — | +1,070% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | Associate's | $77,045 | $14,500 | +867% | Strong return |
| 3 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR | Associate's | $74,096 | — | +706% | Strong return |
| 4 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | Associate's | $74,096 | — | +642% | Strong return |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA | Associate's | $73,077 | $17,333 | +608% | Strong return |
| 6 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | Certificate | $59,770 | $22,397 | +562% | Strong return |
| 7 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | Associate's | $71,695 | $21,750 | +528% | Strong return |
| 8 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | Certificate | $76,808 | — | +471% | Strong return |
| 9 | Minnesota North College Hibbing, MN | Certificate | $50,795 | — | +456% | Strong return |
| 10 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA | Associate's | $63,673 | $21,000 | +449% | Strong return |
| 11 | Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC | Certificate | $49,650 | $12,000 | +445% | Strong return |
| 12 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Certificate | $75,465 | — | +441% | Strong return |
| 13 | Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS | Associate's | $65,848 | $19,000 | +395% | Strong return |
| 14 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY | Certificate | $54,112 | — | +381% | Strong return |
| 15 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Associate's | $63,496 | $19,500 | +355% | Strong return |
| 16 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | Associate's | $61,641 | $22,698 | +355% | Strong return |
| 17 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR | Certificate | $76,924 | — | +342% | Strong return |
| 18 | Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI | Associate's | $61,635 | $25,500 | +342% | Strong return |
| 19 | University of Idaho Moscow, ID | Associate's | $60,155 | $16,500 | +325% | Strong return |
| 20 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | Certificate | $76,924 | — | +307% | Strong return |
| 21 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI | Associate's | $59,190 | $21,393 | +284% | Strong return |
| 22 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Paul Smiths, NY | Certificate | $54,919 | — | +272% | Strong return |
| 23 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA | Associate's | $52,758 | $20,065 | +270% | Strong return |
| 24 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA | Associate's | $61,907 | $20,663 | +194% | Strong return |
| 25 | Auburn University Auburn, AL | Associate's | $60,170 | $18,750 | +173% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.