2026 Best Value Forestry Master’s Degree Schools
[Forestry](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/forestry/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong forestry education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 136 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for forestry students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Forestry Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the forestry degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Forestry Schools
For return on investment in forestry, no school beat University Of Florida this year. Located in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,381, compared with $28,659 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,512 to complete the forestry program here. Early-career forestry graduates make about $60,468. Set against $15,512 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Florida admits about 24% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Washington Seattle Campus one of the best values for forestry. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,973, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Forestry graduates carry a median of $16,481 in student loans. Forestry graduates of University Of Washington Seattle Campus earn a median of $65,681 early in their careers. Set against $16,481 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 39%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Georgia earned it the #3 place for forestry. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $31,688. Typical student debt for forestry graduates is $22,607. Forestry graduates of University Of Georgia earn a median of $46,160 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Purdue University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in forestry, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,992, compared with $28,794 for out-of-state students. Forestry graduates carry a median of $19,844 in student loans. Forestry graduates of Purdue University Main Campus earn a median of $47,015 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Northern Arizona University one of the best values for forestry. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,619 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,044. Forestry graduates carry a median of $21,811 in student loans. Forestry graduates of Northern Arizona University earn a median of $41,790 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,811 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Mississippi State University came in at #6 for value in forestry this year. Located in the town of Mississippi State, Mississippi State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,202 in tuition and fees, compared with $27,637 for out-of-state students. Forestry graduates carry a median of $19,750 in student loans. Forestry graduates of Mississippi State University earn a median of $40,219 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh placed #7 among the best values for forestry. 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, compared with $32,847 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,749 to complete the forestry program here. Forestry graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of $61,142 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,749 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale placed #8 among the best values for forestry. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,334. Typical student debt for forestry graduates is $21,512. Early-career forestry graduates make about $35,398. That is a strong return on a $21,512 median debt. Southern Illinois University Carbondale admits about 87% of applicants.
University Of Maine landed the #9 spot for forestry value this year. Located in the suburb of Orono, University Of Maine is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,326, compared with $36,756 for out-of-state students. Forestry graduates carry a median of $23,618 in student loans. Soon after graduation, forestry degree recipients from University Of Maine generally make around $43,901. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 97%.
The University Of Tennessee earned the #10 position for value in forestry this year. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,812 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for forestry graduates is $27,000. Forestry graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of $31,441 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Oregon State University landed the #11 spot for forestry value this year. Oregon State University is a very large public school located in the city of Corvallis. Students from in state pay about $14,400 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $38,190. Typical student debt for forestry graduates is $24,043. Forestry graduates of Oregon State University earn a median of $56,550 early in their careers. Set against $24,043 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Clemson University came in at #12 for value in forestry this year. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for forestry graduates is $24,700. Early-career forestry graduates make about $53,850. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 38%.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University landed the #13 spot for forestry value this year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,948, with out-of-state students paying around $37,764. Typical student debt for forestry graduates is $20,919. Forestry graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of $45,817 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Auburn University landed the #14 spot for forestry value this year. Set in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,890 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. Forestry graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Forestry graduates of Auburn University earn a median of $51,421 early in their careers. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
Duke University earned the #15 position for value in forestry this year. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,758 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $13,296 to complete the forestry program here. Soon after graduation, forestry degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $83,388. That is a strong return on a $13,296 median debt. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Other Forestry Degree Levels
Explore the best-value forestry schools at other degree levels:
View All Forestry Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 136 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
