Best Forestry Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Forestry Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 7 Forestry programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of Forestry graduates four years after completing. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities leads the list with median earnings of $58,651 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the figure ranges from $58,651 to $50,394, with a median of $55,724.
All 7 schools are 100% public institutions. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale posts the lowest average net price on the page at $13,297.
Michigan State University ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $58,651 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranks 1st on this list with median earnings of $58,651 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 46 graduates. | |||||
| 2 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $56,754 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus admits 50% of applicants and its Forestry graduates earn a median of $56,754 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $55,912 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
| Michigan Technological University posts an average net price of $2,045 for families earning under $30,000 and a median federal debt of $25,500 among Forestry completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 4 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $55,724 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| On Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, Michigan State University sits at 69th and reports median earnings of $55,724 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point · Stevens Point, WI | $55,724 | $14,559 | $8,833 | 91.8% |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point reports median earnings of $55,724 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing, with 55 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $52,650 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| Iowa State University shows a median federal debt of $18,750 among Forestry completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 89%. | |||||
| 7 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $50,394 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has the lowest average net price on the list at $13,297 and reports median earnings of $50,394 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Forestry graduates four years after completing, highest first. The figure captures the median earnings of federally aided Forestry completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to the bottom of the list is $8,257, and the gap between University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Purdue University-Main Campus is $1,897.
Job market context in the Midwest
Forestry graduates in the Midwest enter a labor market linked to occupations such as First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers, Conservation Scientists, and Forest and Conservation Technicians. The median annual wage across those occupations is $61,715, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $49,097. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 1,335 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 2.1% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, a different measure from the occupational wage figures described here.
Related rankings
- Best Forestry Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Forestry Programs in the South
- Best Forestry Programs in the West
- Natural Resources Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
- Natural Resources Colleges in the Midwest