Best Forestry Programs in the South (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Forestry Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 15 Forestry programs in the South by median earnings of Forestry graduates four years after completing, highest first. North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $86,357 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $86,357 to $48,755, with a median of $63,764.
All 15 programs are at 15 public institutions. Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 25th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best on the page. University of Florida posts the lowest average net price, at $6,541.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $86,357 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $86,357 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of Georgia · Athens, GA | $68,965 | $13,936 | $8,085 | 37.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Georgia left with a median of $18,500 in federal loans, and the school's Forestry completers earned a median of $68,965 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 3 | Louisiana Tech University · Ruston, LA | $65,941 | $11,864 | $7,676 | 86.4% |
| Louisiana Tech University admits 86% of applicants and its Forestry graduates posted median earnings of $65,941 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Alabama A & M University · Normal, AL | $64,749 | $17,621 | $16,500 | 58.0% |
| With an average net price of $16,500 for families earning under $30,000, Alabama A & M University reports median earnings of $64,749 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $64,704 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
| Auburn University ranks 264th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Forestry graduates earned a median of $64,704 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV | $64,568 | $15,634 | $9,450 | 89.0% |
| West Virginia University reports median earnings of $64,568 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing, alongside a school-wide median federal debt of $22,500 for borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 7 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $64,204 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranks 7th on this list, with a cohort of 87 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $64,204 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $63,764 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
| Clemson University admits 38% of applicants, and its Forestry graduates earned a median of $63,764 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $63,468 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page at 25th among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Forestry graduates earned a median of $63,468 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $58,499 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
| Mississippi State University reports an average net price of $17,595 and median earnings of $58,499 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College · Tifton, GA | $57,678 | $6,842 | $4,323 | 75.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College left with a median of $16,750 in federal loans, and the school's Forestry completers earned a median of $57,678 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 12 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $57,436 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville ranks 132nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Forestry graduates earned a median of $57,436 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Stephen F Austin State University · Nacogdoches, TX | $55,786 | $14,260 | $10,318 | 94.0% |
| Stephen F Austin State University admits 94% of applicants and reports median earnings of $55,786 for its Forestry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $51,331 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $22,500 in federal loans at University of Kentucky, where the Forestry program's median earnings four years after completing are $51,331. | |||||
| 15 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $48,755 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| University of Florida posts an average net price of $6,541 and ranks 29th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
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 South appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided Forestry graduates 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 gap between North Carolina State University at Raleigh and University of Georgia is $17,392, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $37,602.
Job market context in the South
Forestry graduates in the South enter a labor market that links 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 $60,745, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $48,637. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 742 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 2.7% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures reported here.
Related rankings
- Best Forestry Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the South
- Best Forestry Programs in the Midwest
- Best Forestry Programs in the West
- Natural Resources Colleges in the South for Social Mobility
- Natural Resources Colleges in the South