Program Analysis
At $61,142 per year, Forestry graduates from North Carolina State University at Raleigh significantly outpace the $42,702 national average for this major, reflecting strong employer demand for this program's graduates.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 16.9x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Forestry programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Forestry's typical career paths, with 34% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 9% gap from the optimistic case.
The median debt load of $21,750 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
At #1 of 29 nationally, this is a top-5% Forestry program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.
Five-year earnings of $71,695 are relatively flat compared to the $61,142 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.