🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $18,952/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$9,303 — major value play)
  • Students focused on Biological & Biomedical Sciences (the school's signature program)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity
Total enrollment
1,839
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$9,303
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$22,263
+$12,960 vs in-state
Admit rate
82.9%
Accepts the majority
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$55,763
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$48,327
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,763
4-year completion
66%
Median debt (completers)
$11,000
Cost of attendance
$28,133
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
20%

💰 True ROI

7.4× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$75,808
$18,952/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$36,724
vs sticker $112,532
10-yr earnings total
$557,630
$55,763/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.4 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the average net price is $18,952/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$9,473/yr
Family income $30-48k
$11,635/yr
Family income $48-75k
$18,870/yr
Family income $75-110k
$20,953/yr
Family income $110k+
$24,014/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry →

Opens on SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
144 degrees · 41.0%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
2. Natural Resources & Conservation
120 degrees · 34.2%
Typical career outcomes
Environmental Scientist $79k Conservation Scientist / Forester $67k Wildlife Biologist $71k
Forestry, environmental science, conservation work — often public-sector or NGO.
3. Engineering
61 degrees · 17.4%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
4. Architecture
13 degrees · 3.7%
Typical career outcomes
Architect $93k Landscape Architect $79k Urban / Regional Planner $82k
Path to becoming a licensed architect requires graduate degree + experience.
5. Business, Management, & Marketing
13 degrees · 3.7%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Construction Trades, Other. Bachelor's Degree $99,249
Engineering, General. Bachelor's Degree $74,307
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy. Bachelor's Degree 36 $65,604
Landscape Architecture. Bachelor's Degree 15 $59,480
Forestry. Bachelor's Degree 32 $57,664
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology. Bachelor's Degree 89 $50,010
Natural Resources Conservation and Research. Bachelor's Degree 59 $49,489
Zoology/Animal Biology. Bachelor's Degree 33 $42,505

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

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