Forestry Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Forestry maps to BLS occupations averaging about $65,315, with roughly 10,690 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $6,246; common paths include Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary and First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers.
Key Statistics
Forestry: what the data shows
Common questions about forestry degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a forestry degree?
A Forestry program is classified under NCES CIP 00.0305 in the Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General field family (00.03).
Types of forestry degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.03 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management (CIP 00.0303)
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (CIP 00.0301)
- Natural Resources Management and Policy (CIP 00.0302)
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management (CIP 00.0306)
What do you learn in forestry?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Instructing, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Learning Strategies, Speaking, Active Listening, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a forestry degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Forestry to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,310 | $100,830 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | 29,530 | $59,330 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a forestry degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $6,246 and median net price is $12,515.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
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
N/A 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 Lowest 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 average net price 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.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.03 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management CIP 00.0303
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research CIP 00.0301
- Natural Resources Management and Policy CIP 00.0302
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management CIP 00.0306
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $65,315. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Forestry graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $89,673 | 1,310 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | $64,234 | 29,530 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
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.
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, N/A degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Forestry.
CIP Code
00.0305 - Forestry
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $65,315. The largest mapped role by headcount is Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary (1,310 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $6,246 in-state at public colleges and $42,491 at private institutions for programs in this field.
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.