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Forest technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a forest technician. Forest technicians usually study forestry, environmental science, or natural resources management. 55% of forest technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 35% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 460 real forest technician resumes to see exactly what forest technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for forest technicians are the Pennsylvania College of Technology and the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
There are also many online forest technician courses to help get the education required to be a forest technician.
There are certain forest technician certifications that you should consider. These forest technician certifications include Certified Forester (CF) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
What education do you need to become a forest technician?
What degree do you need to be a forest technician?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 35%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a forest technician?
Most common colleges for forest technicians
| Forest technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | 10.13% |
| University of Idaho | 8.86% |
| SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 7.59% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 6.33% |
| Michigan Technological University | 5.06% |
Best majors for forest technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forestry | 48.4% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 13.7% |
| 3 | Natural Resources Management | 4.6% |
| 4 | Biology | 4.1% |
| 5 | Business | 4.1% |
Best colleges for forest technicians
The best colleges for forest technicians are Duke University, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley.
A forest 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 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 technicians.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
4. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
5. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
9. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,874
Enrollment
1,819
10. University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$18,499
Enrollment
12,668
20 best online courses for forest technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for forest technicians
The most affordable schools for forest technicians are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and purdue university.
If the best universities for forest 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 technicians.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Cost of attendance
36,739
8. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Cost of attendance
23,600
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for forest technicians
The hardest universities for forest technicians to get into are Duke University, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley.
Some great schools for forest 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 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. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
3. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Colby College
Waterville, ME • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,437
7. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
8. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for forest technicians
The easiest schools for forest technicians to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, thomas more university, and university of maine at fort kent.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a forest 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 technicians.
1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
2. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
3. University of Maine at Fort Kent
Fort Kent, ME • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
1,005
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average forest technician salary by education level
| Forest technician education level | Forest technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,844 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,855 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,905 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,012 |
Forest technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025