Forestry
Forestry is a versatile degree that prepares students for a wide range of professional opportunities. With 10,690 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Forestry and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$6,246 Median In-State Public
$42,491 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Forestry majors are, on average, $6,246 for in-state public colleges, and $42,491 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Forestry programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Forestry from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Forestry.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 2 | Michigan State University | MI | 40,243 |
| 3 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | 39,637 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | 35,665 |
| 5 | University of Florida | FL | 34,102 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Forestry programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Redwoods | CA | $1,147 |
| 2 | Sierra College | CA | $1,156 |
| 3 | Shasta College | CA | $1,197 |
| 4 | Citrus College | CA | $1,204 |
| 5 | Modesto Junior College | CA | $1,270 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Forestry programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coastal Pines Technical College | GA | $124 |
| 2 | South Georgia Technical College | GA | $1,026 |
| 3 | Reedley College | CA | $1,584 |
| 4 | Lurleen B Wallace Community College | AL | $3,041 |
| 5 | Grays Harbor College | WA | $3,149 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Forestry programs.
Graduation Rates
53.65% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
55.42% Average Graduation Rate
90 Institutions Reporting
43.10% - 68.26% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Forestry programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Forestry graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$64,258 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Forestry majors is $64,258.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Forestry majors.
Occupations by Share
10,690 2023 Workforce
The number of Forestry graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Forestry by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Forestry degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Forestry degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Forestry in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Forestry.
Age distribution for Forestry degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Forestry degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Forestry degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Forestry are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Forestry.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Forestry field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Forestry majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Forestry majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Forestry majors.
About
Forestry
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Forestry.
CIP Code
00.0305 - Forestry
Insights and Analysis
Forestry offers students a pathway to career success with diverse opportunities across multiple industries. Prospective students should carefully evaluate factors including costs, outcomes, program quality, and personal interests when making their educational decisions.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.