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# Best Forestry Programs in the Midwest (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Regional list from [Best Forestry Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-forestry-programs/)

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](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/) 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 nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

7 schools in list order

| 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](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, with [median earnings of $58,651](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/outcomes/) for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. |
| 2 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $56,754 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
|  | [Purdue University-Main Campus](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) [admits 50% of applicants](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/admissions/) and posts median earnings of $56,754 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $55,912 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
|  | [Michigan Technological University](/school/michigan-technological-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $2,045](/school/michigan-technological-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $55,912 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $55,724 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
|  | [Michigan State University](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) is 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports [median earnings of $55,724](/school/michigan-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stevens-point/majors/) reports a [median federal debt of $21,393](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stevens-point/cost/) among Forestry completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $55,724 four years after completing. |
| 6 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $52,650 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
|  | [Iowa State University](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $18,589](/school/iowa-state-university/cost/) and median earnings of $52,650 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $50,394 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
|  | [Southern Illinois University-Carbondale](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/) ranks 7th on this list and reports [median earnings of $50,394](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/outcomes/) 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. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. 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](/rankings/best-forestry-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Forestry Programs in the South](/rankings/best-forestry-programs-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Forestry Programs in the West](/rankings/best-forestry-programs-in-the-west/)
-   Natural Resources Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
-   Natural Resources Colleges in the Midwest