by our College Data Analytics Team
[Forestry](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/forestry/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 34 schools on the early-career earnings of their forestry graduates.
What’s on this page:
The right forestry school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. To help, we created our Highest Paid Forestry Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its forestry graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Forestry Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Below are the schools whose forestry graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Oregon State University the top school for forestry graduate earnings in the United States. Oregon State University is a public school located in the city of Corvallis. Forestry graduates of Oregon State University earn a median of about $74,096 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #2 makes North Carolina State University At Raleigh one of the highest-paying schools for forestry. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public institution. Forestry graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of about $71,695 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in forestry will find them at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, which ranked #3. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $73,077.
University Of Georgia came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying forestry schools. University Of Georgia is a public school located in the city of Athens. After graduating, forestry degree recipients from University Of Georgia typically earn about $77,045 annually.
Humboldt State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying forestry schools. Humboldt State University is a public school located in the town of Arcata. Forestry graduates of Humboldt State University earn a median of about $63,673 a year early in their careers.
Auburn University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying forestry schools. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a public institution. Early-career forestry graduates from Auburn University make a median of around $60,170 per year.
Clemson University placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for forestry. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a public institution. After graduating, forestry degree recipients from Clemson University typically earn about $52,490 annually.
Paul Smiths College Of Arts And Science landed the #8 spot for forestry salaries this year. Paul Smiths College Of Arts And Science is a private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Paul Smiths. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $54,559.
Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for forestry. Located in the city of Syracuse, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry is a public institution. Early-career forestry graduates from Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry make a median of around $54,112 per year.
University Of Idaho came in at #10 for forestry graduate earnings this year. University Of Idaho is a public school located in the town of Moscow. Early-career forestry graduates from University Of Idaho make a median of around $60,155 per year.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for forestry. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public institution. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,907.
Michigan Technological University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying forestry schools. Michigan Technological University is a public school located in the town of Houghton. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,635.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for forestry. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a public institution. Early-career forestry graduates from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities make a median of around $63,496 per year.
Mississippi State University came in at #14 for forestry graduate earnings this year. Mississippi State University is a public school located in the town of Mississippi State. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $65,848.
Northern Arizona University came in at #15 for forestry graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a public institution. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,641.
University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point landed the #16 spot for forestry salaries this year. Set in the town of Stevens Point, University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point is a public institution. Forestry graduates of University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point earn a median of about $59,190 a year early in their careers.
Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College came in at #17 for forestry graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Hibbing, Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College is a public institution. Forestry graduates of Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College earn a median of about $50,795 a year early in their careers.
West Virginia University earned the #18 position for forestry graduate earnings this year. West Virginia University is a public school located in the city of Morgantown. Early-career forestry graduates from West Virginia University make a median of around $53,335 per year.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for forestry. Set in the town of Tifton, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a public institution. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,758.
Louisiana Tech University ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying forestry schools. Louisiana Tech University is a public school located in the town of Ruston. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $44,120.
Colorado State University Fort Collins landed the #21 spot for forestry salaries this year. Located in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a public institution. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,875.
University Of Maine ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying forestry schools. University Of Maine is a public school located in the suburb of Orono. Forestry graduates of University Of Maine earn a median of about $43,901 a year early in their careers.
Purdue University Main Campus placed #23 among the highest-paying schools for forestry. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the forestry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $43,029.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #24 spot for forestry salaries this year. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution. Forestry graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of about $54,092 a year early in their careers.
Iowa State University came in at #25 for forestry graduate earnings this year. Iowa State University is a public school located in the city of Ames. After graduating, forestry degree recipients from Iowa State University typically earn about $45,342 annually.
Not far behind, these schools also produced high-earning forestry graduates:
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their forestry graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 34 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.