2026 Best Value Forest Technology/Technician Schools

[Forest Technology/Technician](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/forestry/forest-technology-technician/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong forest technology/technician education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 38 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value forest technology/technician schools.
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Finding the Best Value Forest Technology/Technician School for You
The right forest technology/technician school can pay off for years to come. To help, we created our Best Value Forest Technology/Technician Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
Learn more about our methodology
Customizing Your List
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Best Value Forest Technology/Technician Schools list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
2026 Best Value Forest Technology/Technician Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in forest technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Forest Technology/Technician Schools
Our analysis ranked Coastal Pines Technical College the best value for a degree in forest technology/technician in the United States. Coastal Pines Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Waycross. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,268, while out-of-state students pay about $5,836. Students borrow a median of $5,812 to complete the forest technology/technician program here. Early-career forest technology/technician graduates make about $39,090. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Wayne Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value forest technology/technician schools. Wayne Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Goldsboro. Students from in state pay about $2,566 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,710 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for forest technology/technician graduates is $5,500. Forest Technology/technician graduates of Wayne Community College earn a median of $33,116 early in their careers. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in forest technology/technician will find it at Horry Georgetown Technical College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Conway, Horry Georgetown Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,518 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,978 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,622 to complete the forest technology/technician program here. Early-career forest technology/technician graduates make about $36,135. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Louisiana Technical Community College earned it the #4 place for forest technology/technician. Central Louisiana Technical Community College is a small public school located in the city of Alexandria. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,098, while out-of-state students pay about $4,363. Typical student debt for forest technology/technician graduates is $8,625. Forest Technology/technician graduates of Central Louisiana Technical Community College earn a median of $18,707 early in their careers. Set against $8,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in forest technology/technician will find it at Jones County Junior College, which ranked #5. Jones County Junior College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Ellisville. In-state tuition and fees average $4,700, with out-of-state students paying around $5,700. Students borrow a median of $9,559 to complete the forest technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, forest technology/technician degree recipients from Jones County Junior College generally make around $33,655. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Sowela Technical Community College earned the #6 position for value in forest technology/technician this year. Sowela Technical Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Lake Charles. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,305. Students borrow a median of $7,391 to complete the forest technology/technician program here. Early-career forest technology/technician graduates make about $45,827. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Allegany College Of Maryland came in at #7 for value in forest technology/technician this year. Allegany College Of Maryland is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Cumberland. In-state tuition and fees average $4,940, compared with $12,620 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,823 to complete the forest technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, forest technology/technician degree recipients from Allegany College Of Maryland generally make around $42,542. Set against $18,823 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Green River Community College earned the #8 position for value in forest technology/technician this year. Set in the city of Auburn, Green River Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,711 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $5,263. Median earnings reach $50,712 ten years out.
Hocking College earned the #9 position for value in forest technology/technician this year. Located in the rural area of Nelsonville, Hocking College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,646, compared with $10,290 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,535 to complete the forest technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, forest technology/technician degree recipients from Hocking College generally make around $37,713. That is a strong return on a $16,535 median debt.
University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point earned the #10 position for value in forest technology/technician this year. University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Stevens Point. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,228, while out-of-state students pay about $18,248. Forest Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $24,893 in student loans. Forest Technology/technician graduates of University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point earn a median of $41,177 early in their careers. Set against $24,893 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 92%.
University Of Idaho earned the #11 position for value in forest technology/technician this year. Located in the town of Moscow, University Of Idaho is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,084, while out-of-state students pay about $28,320. Typical student debt for forest technology/technician graduates is $18,000. Forest Technology/technician graduates of University Of Idaho earn a median of $43,246 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry earned the #12 position for value in forest technology/technician this year. Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Syracuse. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,303, compared with $22,263 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $55,763 ten years after entry. Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry admits about 63% of applicants.
Pennsylvania College Of Technology ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value forest technology/technician schools. Set in the city of Williamsport, Pennsylvania College Of Technology is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,940, compared with $25,680 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for forest technology/technician graduates is $12,000. Early-career forest technology/technician graduates make about $36,719. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 38 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.