2027 Best Value Forestry, General Master’s Degree Schools

[Forestry, General](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/forestry/general-forestry/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for forestry, general students.
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2027 Best Value Forestry, General Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in forestry, general, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Forestry, General Schools
University Of Florida tops our 2027 list of the best value forestry, general schools in the United States. University Of Florida is a very large public school located in the city of Gainesville. In-state tuition and fees average $6,381, with out-of-state students paying around $28,659. Forestry, General graduates carry a median of $15,512 in student loans. Soon after graduation, forestry, general degree recipients from University Of Florida generally make around $60,468. Set against $15,512 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Florida admits about 24% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Georgia earned it the #2 place for forestry, general. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $31,688. Students borrow a median of $22,607 to complete the forestry, general program here. Early-career forestry, general graduates make about $46,160. That is a strong return on a $22,607 median debt. The acceptance rate is 38%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northern Arizona University earned it the #3 place for forestry, general. Located in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, compared with $20,044 for out-of-state students. Forestry, General graduates carry a median of $21,811 in student loans. Soon after graduation, forestry, general degree recipients from Northern Arizona University generally make around $41,790. That is a strong return on a $21,811 median debt. Northern Arizona University admits about 90% of applicants.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value forestry, general schools. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Typical student debt for forestry, general graduates is $24,749. Early-career forestry, general graduates make about $61,142. That is a strong return on a $24,749 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Maine earned it the #5 place for forestry, general. Located in the suburb of Orono, University Of Maine is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,326, with out-of-state students paying around $36,756. Typical student debt for forestry, general graduates is $23,618. Early-career forestry, general graduates make about $43,901. That is a strong return on a $23,618 median debt. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry placed #6 among the best values for forestry, general. Located in the city of Syracuse, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,303, while out-of-state students pay about $22,263. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $55,763. The acceptance rate is 63%.
Michigan State University placed #7 among the best values for forestry, general. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Forestry, General graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career forestry, general graduates make about $39,178. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Colorado State University Fort Collins earned the #8 position for value in forestry, general this year. Located in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,373, compared with $35,061 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,200 to complete the forestry, general program here. Soon after graduation, forestry, general degree recipients from Colorado State University Fort Collins generally make around $37,539. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Auburn University landed the #9 spot for forestry, general value this year. Set in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,890, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. Forestry, General graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Forestry, General graduates of Auburn University earn a median of $51,421 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 46%.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earned the #10 position for value in forestry, general this year. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,948, with out-of-state students paying around $37,764. Typical student debt for forestry, general graduates is $20,919. Early-career forestry, general graduates make about $45,817. That is a strong return on a $20,919 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
Duke University landed the #11 spot for forestry, general value this year. Duke University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. Students from in state pay about $68,758 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for forestry, general graduates is $13,296. Early-career forestry, general graduates make about $83,388. That is a strong return on a $13,296 median debt. Duke University admits about 6% of applicants.
Other Forestry, General Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Forestry, General rankings across degree levels:
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.