Forestry at Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana Tech's forestry program manages to outperform the national median despite being in a state where forestry programs are relatively rare. Starting at $44,120, graduates earn about $1,100 more than the national median for forestry majors, placing this program in the 60th percentile nationally. More impressively, students here graduate with $24,250 in debt—well below the 75th percentile mark, meaning three-quarters of forestry programs nationally saddle students with more debt than this.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55 translates to a manageable situation: graduates owe roughly half their first year's salary, which should be repayable within a reasonable timeframe given the steady nature of forestry careers. With only four schools in Louisiana offering this major, you're looking at a program that serves a specific regional need without the competitive saturation you'd find in other fields.

For a parent considering this program, the math works better than most forestry degrees nationwide. Your child would enter a specialized field with reasonable debt and earnings that exceed the typical outcome. The moderate sample size suggests consistent placement, and the combination of below-average debt with above-average earnings makes this a solid value for students genuinely interested in forestry careers.