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Forest ranger technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a forest ranger technician. Forest ranger technicians usually study public health, medical technician, or agricultural operation and science. 50% of forest ranger technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 21 real forest ranger technician resumes to see exactly what forest ranger technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for forest ranger technicians are the Alcorn State University and the Alcorn State University.

There are also many online forest ranger technician courses to help get the education required to be a forest ranger technician.

What education do you need to become a forest ranger technician?

What degree do you need to be a forest ranger technician?

The most common degree for forest ranger technicians is bachelor's degree, with 50% of forest ranger technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 17%.
  • Bachelor's, 50%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Other Degrees, 16%

What should I major in to become a forest ranger technician?

You should major in public health to become a forest ranger technician. 11% of forest ranger technicians major in public health. Other common majors for a forest ranger technician include medical technician and agricultural operation and science.

Most common colleges for forest ranger technicians

Forest ranger technicians often get their degrees at Alcorn State University, University of Nevada - Las Vegas, and Illinois State University. Here are the most common colleges for forest ranger technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Forest ranger technician common collegePercentages
Alcorn State University11.11%
University of Nevada - Las Vegas11.11%
Illinois State University11.11%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro11.11%
Southern Utah University11.11%

Best majors for forest ranger technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Public Health11.1%
2Medical Technician11.1%
3Agricultural Operation And Science11.1%
4Agricultural Business11.1%
5English11.1%

Best colleges for forest ranger technicians

The best colleges for forest ranger technicians are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Yale University.

A forest ranger technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for forest ranger technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become forest ranger technicians.

1. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

5. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

20 best online courses for forest ranger technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for forest ranger technicians

The most affordable schools for forest ranger technicians are University of Florida, florida international university, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for forest ranger technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for forest ranger technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for forest ranger technicians

The hardest universities for forest ranger technicians to get into are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Yale University.

Some great schools for forest ranger technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for forest ranger technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for forest ranger technicians

The easiest schools for forest ranger technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, university of the incarnate word, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a forest ranger technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for forest ranger technicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

Average forest ranger technician salary by education level

According to our data, forest ranger technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $46,300 annually. Forest ranger technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $41,988.
Forest ranger technician education levelForest ranger technician salary
Master's Degree$46,300
High School Diploma or Less$38,780
Bachelor's Degree$40,334
Some College/ Associate Degree$41,988

Forest ranger technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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