Forestry: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 33 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · 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.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
18.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
−46%Modeled 10-year ROI
$58,499Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$58,499Median reported earnings · year 4
$58,941Average reported earnings · year 5
$22,250Median federal debt
43thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
33Reporting programs
31With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,054
- Federal debt
- $20,923
- Reporting programs
- 1
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,915
- Federal debt
- $12,311
- Reporting programs
- 5
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,499
- Federal debt
- $22,250
- Reporting programs
- 33
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $73,612
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 4
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.DECISION CHECK
What to compare before choosing a program
The national result is only the starting point. Price, debt and the college-level earnings spread can materially change the payoff.
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$64,204Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
ForestersSOC 19-1032 · 7 crosswalk linksForestry and Conservation Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1043 · 7 crosswalk linksForest and Conservation TechniciansSOC 19-4071 · 4 crosswalk linksConservation ScientistsSOC 19-1031 · 3 crosswalk linksForest and Conservation WorkersSOC 45-4011 · 3 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersSOC 45-1011 · 2 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $86,357 | $24,749 | +66% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtBachelor's Degree | Arcata, CA | $79,849 | $22,173 | +50% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $77,419 | $17,000 | +31% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | University of GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Athens, GA | $68,965 | $22,607 | +2% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | Louisiana Tech UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ruston, LA | $65,941 | $24,250 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Alabama A&M UniversityBachelor's Degree | Normal, AL | $64,749 | Not available | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Auburn UniversityBachelor's Degree | Auburn, AL | $64,704 | $20,500 | -29% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | West Virginia UniversityBachelor's Degree | Morgantown, WV | $64,568 | $23,371 | -19% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | University of IdahoBachelor's Degree | Moscow, ID | $64,392 | $18,000 | -19% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $64,204 | $20,919 | -31% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Clemson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Clemson, SC | $63,764 | $24,700 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $63,468 | $19,500 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Colorado State University-Fort CollinsBachelor's Degree | Fort Collins, CO | $62,919 | $24,200 | -32% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | The University of MontanaBachelor's Degree | Missoula, MT | $60,526 | Not available | -37% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $58,651 | $23,059 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Mississippi State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Mississippi State, MS | $58,499 | $19,750 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural CollegeBachelor's Degree | Tifton, GA | $57,678 | $20,282 | -39% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryBachelor's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $57,664 | Not available | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleBachelor's Degree | Knoxville, TN | $57,436 | $27,000 | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Purdue University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $56,754 | Not available | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | University of MaineBachelor's Degree | Orono, ME | $56,124 | $23,618 | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Michigan Technological UniversityBachelor's Degree | Houghton, MI | $55,912 | $27,000 | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Stephen F Austin State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nacogdoches, TX | $55,786 | $22,250 | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $55,724 | $31,000 | -59% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointBachelor's Degree | Stevens Point, WI | $55,724 | $24,893 | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Iowa State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ames, IA | $52,650 | $19,437 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Northern Arizona UniversityBachelor's Degree | Flagstaff, AZ | $52,191 | $22,698 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $51,331 | Not available | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleBachelor's Degree | Carbondale, IL | $50,394 | $21,512 | -77% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and ScienceBachelor's Degree | Paul Smiths, NY | $49,291 | Not available | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | University of FloridaBachelor's Degree | Gainesville, FL | $48,755 | $15,512 | -82% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBoisBachelor's Degree | DuBois, PA | Not available | $21,429 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $17,428 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | Not available | $21,429 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $32,875 |
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.