More selective than 67% of New York colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,133. College Scorecard.
Higher than 56% of New York colleges we cover and 71% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 39% of New York colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
ESF acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,541 applicants, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry admitted 2,937 and 398 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
ESF tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for New York residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: New York residents may qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): up to $5,665 a year toward tuition at eligible New York colleges, for dependent students with New York net taxable family income up to $125,000. At SUNY and CUNY, the Excelsior Scholarship can cover remaining in-state tuition for eligible families (income limits apply). Not included in the prices above. New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
What ESF costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New York. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,473 | $39,313 | 1.9 years |
| $30–48k | $11,635 | $48,285 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $18,870 | $78,311 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $20,953 | $86,955 | 4.1 years |
| $110k+ | $24,014 | $99,658 | 4.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (59% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($55,763) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,130 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
ESF majors, earnings & careers
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry offers 20 bachelor's majors across 4 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 11
- Engineering · 7
- Business & Finance · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at ESF
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Trades, Other | $99,249 | — |
| Engineering | $74,307 | — |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | $65,604 | — |
| Landscape Architecture | $59,480 | — |
| Forestry | $57,664 | — |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | $50,010 | — |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $49,489 | — |
| Zoology / Animal Biology | $42,505 | — |
Quick list of all 20 majors
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Biotechnology—
- Chemical Engineering—
- Chemistry—
- Construction Management—
- Construction Trades, Other$99,249
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$50,010
- Engineering$74,307
- Engineering, Other—
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy$65,604
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$49,489
- Forestry$57,664
- Landscape Architecture$59,480
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other—
- Paper Science and Engineering—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Zoology / Animal Biology$42,505
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biomedical Engineering → Biomedical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Syracuse
Overall prices in the Syracuse, NY area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,493. Housing costs 19% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 128 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Onondaga County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Onondaga County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare ESF with similar schools
Similar public colleges in New York by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 63% | $18,952 | 66% | $55,763 | This school |
| SUNY Maritime College | 72% | $22,367 | 64% | $95,951 | |
| SUNY College at Geneseo | 66% | $18,211 | 71% | $67,316 | |
| SUNY at Purchase College | 74% | $18,913 | 63% | $45,092 | |
| SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University | — | — | — | $109,601 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry would cost you $3,415 less per year than SUNY Maritime College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$2,550).
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry gives aided families $1,762 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | ESF | SUNY Maritime College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,303 | $8,589 | +$714 |
| Books & supplies | $1,240 | $1,500 | −$260 |
| Housing & meals | $17,780 | $16,146 | +$1,634 |
| Personal & travel | $1,050 | $3,600 | −$2,550 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,240 | −$49 | −$1,191 |
| Sticker price | $28,133 | $29,786 | −$1,653 |
| Average grants | −$9,181 | −$7,419 | −$1,762 |
| You pay | $18,952 | $22,367 | −$3,415 |
“+” means ESF costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about ESF
What is the ESF acceptance rate?
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry accepts 63% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,937 of 3,541 applicants were admitted.
How much does SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,133 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,952 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,473 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,014.
How much do ESF graduates earn?
Former SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students earn a median $55,763 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the ESF graduation rate?
66% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 87% return for their second year.
How long does a ESF degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry costs about $78,311 after grants ($18,870 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,763 ten years after starting, $21,130 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 3.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/suny-college-of-environmental-science-and-forestry (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).