# Forestry

> A program that generally prepares individuals to manage and develop forest areas for economic, recreational, and ecological purposes. Includes instruction in forest-related sciences, mapping, statistics, harvesting and production technology, natural resources management and economics, wildlife sciences, administration, and public relations.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/forestry
- CIP code: 03.05 (Natural Resources and Conservation)
- Colleges offering it: 74 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 43 | $43,686 | $58,054 | $12,500 |
| Associate's | 74 | $41,413 | $49,950 | $8,750 |
| Bachelor's | 53 | $46,942 | $58,499 | $18,937 |
| Master's | 34 | $56,462 | $72,807 | not reported |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 23 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 12 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Raleigh, NC | $86,357 | $18,115 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-Humboldt](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-humboldt-361) | Arcata, CA | $79,849 | $19,122 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | San Luis Obispo, CA | $77,419 | $15,000 |
| [University of Georgia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-georgia-2912) | Athens, GA | $68,965 | not reported |
| [Louisiana Tech University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/louisiana-tech-university-1547) | Ruston, LA | $65,941 | $21,130 |
| [Auburn University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/auburn-university-141) | Auburn, AL | $64,704 | $18,500 |
| [West Virginia University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/west-virginia-university-main-campus-3219) | Morgantown, WV | $64,568 | $15,000 |
| [University of Idaho](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-idaho-2924) | Moscow, ID | $64,392 | $12,723 |
| [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university-3134) | Blacksburg, VA | $64,204 | $19,750 |
| [Clemson University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/clemson-university-572) | Clemson, SC | $63,764 | $26,425 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/forestry-and-conservation-science-teachers-postsecondary): $101,420 median pay
- [Foresters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/foresters): $76,400 median pay
- [Conservation Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/conservation-scientists): $73,010 median pay
- [Park Naturalists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/park-naturalists): $73,010 median pay
- [Range Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/range-managers): $73,010 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-farming-fishing-and-forestry-workers): $59,320 median pay
- [Forest and Conservation Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/forest-and-conservation-technicians): $54,560 median pay
- [Forest and Conservation Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/forest-and-conservation-workers): $43,680 median pay

## More in Natural Resources and Conservation

- [Natural Resources Conservation and Research](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/natural-resources-conservation-and-research): 797 colleges
- [Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/environmental-natural-resources-management-and-policy): 92 colleges
- [Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/wildlife-and-wildlands-science-and-management): 59 colleges
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management: 19 colleges
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other: 14 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/