Forestry at Texas A&M University-College Station

Texas A&M's forestry program sits right at the median for Texas schools but trails the national average by nearly $3,000 in first-year earnings. With only two forestry programs in the state, graduates here earn marginally more than their counterparts at Stephen F Austin ($40,314 vs. $39,953), though both lag behind the national median of $43,029. The relatively low debt load of $19,500—about 14% below the national median—helps offset the earnings gap, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48 that new graduates can typically handle.

The real concern is the small sample size flagging these numbers. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few outliers could skew the picture significantly in either direction. That said, forestry careers often start modestly regardless of school, with hands-on experience and specialized certifications mattering as much as the degree itself. Texas A&M's strong natural resources network and proximity to East Texas timber country may provide practical advantages not captured in these first-year salary figures.

For parents weighing this option, the math works if your student is genuinely committed to forestry as a career. The debt is manageable, the program comes from a respected land-grant university, and the earnings gap versus top programs nationally isn't severe. Just recognize you're making this decision with limited data—and that forestry salaries, wherever you study, won't compete with engineering or business graduates.