Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Urban forester education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an urban forester. Urban foresters usually study forestry, environmental science, or biology. 79% of urban foresters hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 44 real urban forester resumes to see exactly what urban forester education sections show.
The most common colleges for urban foresters are the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin Colleges.
There are also many online urban forester courses to help get the education required to be an urban forester.
What education do you need to become an urban forester?
What degree do you need to be an urban forester?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an urban forester?
Most common colleges for urban foresters
| Urban forester common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 12.50% |
| The University of Montana | 8.33% |
| Southern University and A & M College | 8.33% |
| University of Kansas | 4.17% |
| West Virginia University | 4.17% |
Best majors for urban foresters
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forestry | 34.2% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 13.2% |
| 3 | Biology | 5.3% |
| 4 | Geography | 5.3% |
| 5 | Geology | 2.6% |
Best colleges for urban foresters
The best colleges for urban foresters are Duke University, Yale University, and Washington University in St Louis.
An urban forester with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for urban foresters. 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 urban foresters.
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 Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
20 best online courses for urban foresters
Advertising disclosure
1. Sustainable Cities and Communities
In this specialisation you will learn how to drive change in cities and communities towards sustainable, climate friendly, just, healthy and prosperous futures, and you will boost your career with new knowledge, understanding and skills for navigating urban transformations. This specialisation brings together a series of cutting-edge courses with world-leading teachers on cities, communities, sustainability, governance and innovation.\n\nThis specialisation is offered by the IIIEE at Lund...
2. Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research
Welcome! Are you looking to learn more about how to conduct scientific research, specifically in an urban or local context? Then you have found the right course: Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam. During the course you will gain more insight in the different steps of the research cycle, and build a firm foundation for your own future research endeavors. Before any (urban)...
3. Animal Communication - Intermediate
Intermediate level telepathic animal communication made easy...
4. Animal Communication - Animals and the Afterlife
Exploring death and the afterlife from the animal's point of view using telepathic animal communication...
5. Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems
Learn about the three phases of the urban value chain: planning, governance and regeneration. With lecturers from all around the world and concrete case studies, this course will give you a comprehensive overview about the “Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems”. This course has assembled some of the most relevant experiences and knowledge from our Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems (IGLUS) Executive Master’s program, which has been offered by EPFL during the past 5 years...
6. Sustainable Urban Water Systems
The MOOC “Sustainable Urban Water Systems” aims to provide knowledge about modern and sustainable solutions for urban water management in water-sensitive cities. The focus is on stormwater control and water supply strategies for the mitigation of effects on the water cycles due to human settlements and climate change. In particular, the integration of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into urban drainage systems, the use of alternative water resources, and the reduction of losses and waste, make...
7. Communication Skills Masterclass - Your Communication Guide
Communication Skill For Business Communication & Effective Communication In Workplace & Relationships...
8. Animal Communication For beginners
Learn an easy process for communicating with animals telepathically...
9. Cities and Consumption: Urban Sustainability and the Sharing Economy
How can we govern consumption and the sharing economy in our cities? This course explores cities, consumption and the sharing economy in Europe and around the world. We connect together the key themes of the sharing economy, cities, governance, consumption and urban sustainability. We explore how the sharing economy can contribute to increasing social, environmental and economic sustainability. And we argue that it is imperative that the sharing economy is shaped and designed to advance urban...
10. The Art of Communications - Become A Master Communicator
Communication skills training. Confidence. Public Speaking. Promotion. Body Language. Pay raise. Job interview. Speech...
11. Intercultural communication
Get the best experience interacting with people from other culture or background...
12. Communication Fundamentals: How To Communicate Better
Become an Effective Communicator And Learn How to Get Your Message Across By Learning Communication Fundamentals...
13. Decision Trees, Random Forests, AdaBoost & XGBoost in Python
Decision Trees and Ensembling techniques in Python. How to run Bagging, Random Forest, GBM, Ada Boost & XGBoost in Python...
14. Winning With Communication - Master Communication Skills
Communication Training Course - Develop True Communication Mastery!...
15. Communication Skills - 7 Communication Courses In 1
Master Communication Skills: Learn Persuasion, Negotiation, Body Language, Emotional Intelligence & More!...
16. Digital Diversity/Cyber-Citizen/Cross-Cultural Communication
Learn Global Leadership, Communications, Listening, and Conflict Management Skills for Teams...
17. Executive Communication Training
Being a great leader without being a great communicator is nearly impossible...
18. Communication Skills for Beginners
Start Building Your Communication Skills Now...
19. Communication Skills PLUS Leadership - 2 in 1 Masterclass
Learn Communication & Leadership Skills For Inspiration, Success In Life, Work PLUS Interviews, Case Studies, Activities...
20. Effective Communication Skills: Be a Better Communicator!
NEW UPGRADED COURSE: Learn proven, effective communication skills, how to question, listen actively & overcome problems...
Top 10 most affordable universities for urban foresters
The most affordable schools for urban foresters are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for urban foresters 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 urban foresters.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for urban foresters
The hardest universities for urban foresters to get into are Duke University, Yale University, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for urban foresters 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 urban foresters 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,488
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for urban foresters
The easiest schools for urban foresters to get into are William Paterson University of New Jersey, mount saint mary's university, and sonoma state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an urban forester 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 urban foresters.
1. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average urban forester salary by education level
| Urban forester education level | Urban forester salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,324 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,392 |
| Doctorate Degree | $64,174 |
Urban forester education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for urban forester jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025