Home Schools California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Forestry
Natural Resources · Forestry Rank #3 of 29

Forestryat California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Graduates earn $52,810/yr in their first year — about 24.0% above the national Forestry average. Base-case 10-year earnings $567K; scenarios range from $527K to $573K depending on AI disruption.

Arcata, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
57 SOLID
57
Optimistic
54
Pessimistic
Earnings
$52,810
1-year post-graduation
ROI
19.1x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$567K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
36% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

The strong outcomes for Cal Poly Humboldt's forestry graduates aren't an accident; they're a direct result of location and reputation. You're not just studying in a classroom—you're living inside your laboratory. The Redwood Coast is a global hub for both commercial timber operations and critical conservation efforts. This means your hands-on fieldwork is immediately relevant, and your professors are deeply connected to the region's employers, from state and federal agencies like CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service to private timber companies. You'll graduate with a resume already full of practical experience and a network that spans the Pacific Northwest. To maximize this advantage, seek out a summer internship with one of these local employers after your sophomore year; it's your best path to a full-time offer upon graduation.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$527K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score54/100
Earnings Multiple16.7x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$567K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple17.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$573K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple18.1x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Forestry graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary
+4.0% 10-yr growth · 100 openings/yr
$100,830/yr
Moderate
2
Foresters
+1.2% 10-yr growth · 1,100 openings/yr
$70,660/yr
Moderate
3
Conservation scientists
+3.4% 10-yr growth · 2,500 openings/yr
$67,950/yr
High
4
First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
+2.5% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$59,330/yr
Low
5
Forest and conservation technicians
-3.2% 10-yr growth · 3,900 openings/yr
$54,310/yr
Moderate
6
Forest and conservation workers
-4.7% 10-yr growth · 2,000 openings/yr
$43,680/yr
Low
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Forestry

How California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
NC · Public
60
DW Score
$61K
1-yr earn
19.2x
ROI
Same state (CA)
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
58
DW Score
$55K
1-yr earn
15.5x
ROI
Auburn University
AL · Public
50
DW Score
$51K
1-yr earn
11.0x
ROI
University of Idaho
ID · Public
52
DW Score
$47K
1-yr earn
16.1x
ROI
University of Georgia
GA · Public
56
DW Score
$47K
1-yr earn
16.2x
ROI
Also at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Other top programs at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Other highest-scoring programs offered at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Forestry offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Forestry trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Forestry at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

What does a 57/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Forestry at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt?

At 57/100, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt's Forestry program delivers middling returns. School cost and personal fit become important decision factors.