2026 Best Forestry Schools in the The Plains States Region
Forestry is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 12 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best forestry schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Forestry in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall forestry education in the The Plains States Region.
Top Schools in Forestry
No school ranked higher than University Of Minnesota Twin Cities this year for forestry. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities awarded about 18 forestry degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the forestry program make about $43,842 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $23,059 to complete this degree.
Get the full forestry details for University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
Students looking for a strong forestry program will find one at Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College, which ranked #2. This mid-sized public university is located in the town of Hibbing. There were roughly 16 forestry students who graduated with this degree at Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, forestry degree recipients from Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College generally make around $44,387. Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College graduates carry a median of $17,029 in student loans.
More information about a degree in forestry from Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College
Iowa State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in forestry, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. There were roughly 28 forestry students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the forestry program make about $39,337 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,437.
Read more about the forestry program at Iowa State University
Narrow Forestry Schools by State
View All Forestry Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 12 schools evaluated.
- 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.
