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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Forestry

119 Ranked Colleges
2,233 Degrees Awarded
$29,800 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Forestry Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Forestry Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 2,233 people earned their degree in forestry, making the major the 189th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, forestry graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,829 and had an average of $21,444 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Forestry Major” ranking looked at 119 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in forestry. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular forestry programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Forestry Major” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Forestry Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Forestry Major”.

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Forestry Major. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s forestry degrees to 121 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Forestry at Virginia Tech

2
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Forestry Major. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 105 diplomas to qualified ’s forestry students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Forestry at NC State

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Forestry Report

4

Out of the 119 schools in the Most Well Attended Forestry Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #4 spot on the list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s forestry degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.

Full UW - Stevens Point Forestry Report

4
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Georgia. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Forestry Major. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 71 ’s forestry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Georgia Forestry Report

6

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is located in Syracuse, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s forestry degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Forestry at ESF

7
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. Mississippi State is a large school located in Mississippi State, Mississippi that handed out 66 ’s forestry degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Mississippi State University Forestry Report

8
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. Northern Arizona University is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 114 ’s forestry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Forestry at Northern Arizona University

9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Forestry Major list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMN Twin Cities Forestry Report

10
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 45 degrees to qualified ’s forestry students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Forestry at Humboldt State University

11
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. Oregon State University is located in Corvallis, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 ’s forestry degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Forestry at Oregon State University

12
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 43 ’s forestry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Forestry at Purdue University - Main Campus

13

With a ranking of #13, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major list. Stephen F Austin State University is a fairly large public school situated in Nacogdoches, Texas. It awarded 42 ’s forestry degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Forestry at SFASU

14

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking, coming in at #14. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s forestry degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Forestry at SIUC

14

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Forestry Major list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s forestry students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Forestry at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

14
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking, coming in at #14. Auburn is a large public school situated in Auburn, Alabama. It awarded 47 ’s forestry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Forestry at Auburn

17
U of I crest
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. Moscow, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s forestry degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Forestry at University of Idaho

18

Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a large school located in Fort Collins, Colorado that handed out 46 ’s forestry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Forestry at Colorado State

19

University of Maine came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. Orono, Maine is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s forestry degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Maine Forestry Report

20

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking, coming in at #20. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s forestry degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Forestry at Michigan Tech

21

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Forestry at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

22
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Forestry Major list. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school awarded 31 degrees to qualified ’s forestry students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Forestry at WVU

22
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking, coming in at #22. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s forestry degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Clemson Forestry Report

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Arkansas at Monticello did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major list. UAM is a small school located in Monticello, Arkansas that handed out 27 ’s forestry degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Forestry at University of Arkansas at Monticello

24

Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Forestry Major ranking, coming in at #24. Paul Smith’s College is located in Paul Smiths, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s forestry degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Forestry at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science

Notes and References

References

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