2026 Best Value Urban Forestry Bachelor’s Degree Schools

[Urban Forestry](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/forestry/urban-forestry/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong urban forestry education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 22 schools to find the best return on investment for urban forestry students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Urban Forestry Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the urban forestry degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Urban Forestry Schools
Leading the list is University Of California Davis, our #1 best value for urban forestry in the United States. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,804, with out-of-state students paying around $47,692. Urban Forestry graduates carry a median of $14,404 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban forestry degree recipients from University Of California Davis generally make around $53,749. Set against $14,404 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Kentucky earned it the #2 place for urban forestry. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,502, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,094 to complete the urban forestry program here. Early-career urban forestry graduates make about $32,573. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Kentucky admits about 93% of applicants.
Other Urban Forestry Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Urban Forestry rankings across degree levels:
View All Urban Forestry Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 22 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.