Quad
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuse, NY · Public

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Conservation Biology (15% of graduates). 14 students for every faculty member, more than at 58% of colleges. 79% of faculty are full-time. Spends $25,510 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

390 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 55% of graduates; 20 programs in 7 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Conservation Biology 26.130715% 59
    Graduates in this field earn $50,010 4 years out
  2. Environmental Biology 26.130512% 48
    Graduates in this field earn $50,010 4 years out
  3. Environmental Studies 03.01039.7% 38
    Graduates in this field earn $49,489 4 years out
  4. Wildlife Biology 26.07099.5% 37
    Graduates in this field earn $42,505 4 years out
  5. Environmental Science 03.01048.5% 33
    Graduates in this field earn $49,489 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Biology, 36% → 46% of graduates since 2014–15 (178 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Construction Trades, Other$99,249 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$99,249
    National median: $93,761Above typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report

  2. Engineering, General$74,307 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$74,307
    National median: $89,359Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $70,026(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report

  3. Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy$65,604 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$65,604
    National median: $56,185Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $46,417 · Non-Pell: $58,437(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 82 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Landscape Architecture$59,480 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$59,480
    National median: $66,387Below typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 28 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Forestry$57,664 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$57,664
    National median: $58,784About typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 54 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college14 to 1
14 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 58% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 11.9 to 1 in its Common Data Set.

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

60%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 7% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–916133%
10–1912827%
20–2912225%
30–39235%
40–49163%
50–99235%
100+102%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Cross-registration
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • Dual enrollment
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in English composition, math, and a natural science.

Full-time faculty79%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$88,850

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$25,510
$25,510
← Lessmore than 94% of 557More →
Endowment per student$23,791
$23,791
← Lessmore than 73% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)