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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Forestry worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 33 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$114,621 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.

18.5 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−46%Estimated return after 10 years
$58,499Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$58,499 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$58,499Typical earnings four years after completion
$58,941Average earnings five years after completion
$22,250Typical federal student debt
43thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
58Degrees awarded in 2024–25
31College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 9 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Forestry

How much do Forestry bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $58,499 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $22,250. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Forestry?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $55,724 to $64,392 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Forestry?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$58,054
Federal debt
$20,923
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$44,915
Federal debt
$12,311
Programs in the comparison
5
5 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$58,499
Federal debt
$22,250
Programs in the comparison
33
31 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$73,612
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
4
4 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$55,724National median$58,49975th percentile$64,392
31 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$64,39275th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$22,250Median federal debt across programs that report it
4Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

$86,357 four years after completionRaleigh, NC · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

$17,000 among completer borrowersSan Luis Obispo, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

56 reported awards in 2024–25Stevens Point, WI · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$77,419Observed year-4 earnings$50,394
$11,864Annual college-wide average net price$24,323
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1North Carolina State University at Raleigh$86,3572California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt$79,8493California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$77,4194University of Georgia$68,9655Louisiana Tech University$65,9416Alabama A&M University$64,7497Auburn University$64,7048West Virginia University$64,5689University of Idaho$64,39210Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$64,204

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary$101,420 median wage1,520 jobs nationwide+2.8% projected growth through 2035 · 100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$50,100–$148,920 typical wage rangeForesters$76,400 median wage10,430 jobs nationwide+2.2% projected growth through 2035 · 900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$50,790–$109,700 typical wage rangeForest and Conservation Technicians$54,560 median wage30,410 jobs nationwide-2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 3,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$40,330–$83,630 typical wage rangeConservation Scientists$73,010 median wage25,950 jobs nationwide+5.3% projected growth through 2035 · 2,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$47,550–$110,410 typical wage rangeForest and Conservation Workers$43,680 median wage6,050 jobs nationwide-1.5% projected growth through 2035 · 2,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$33,780–$57,220 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$59,320 median wage27,960 jobs nationwide+3.8% projected growth through 2035 · 7,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$38,990–$91,770 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

Year-4 earnings
$55,044
Federal debt
$23,032
287 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management

Year-4 earnings
$45,348
Federal debt
$24,937
38 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy

Year-4 earnings
$53,620
Federal debt
$25,138
32 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management

Year-4 earnings
$48,077
Federal debt
$26,063
10 reporting programs →

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.