Engaged, Eco-Friendly STEM Education Available at ESF
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Technologically Advanced Small Colleges.
Ranked 106th nationally by the U.S. News & World Report, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is a public, research-intensive USCAA member in Syracuse that offers 27 undergrad and 55 post-grad programs, including three fully online, at a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. For example, the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture builds a 141-credit, LAAB-accredited curriculum headed by Dr. Douglas Johnston where undergrads can conduct Center for Community Design Research projects, review the Fletcher Steele Archives, and join Sigma Lambda Alpha. Chaired by Dr. James Gibbs, the 126-credit B.S. in Conservation Biology helps Mighty Oaks to start Adirondack Ecological Center research, attend the Salix Consortium, semester at sea, and intern with the Forest Service.
Online on Blackboard starting Fall 2019, the ESF Open Academy will deliver a 60-credit B.S. in Sustainability Management led by Dr. Mark Lichtenstein for cohorts of 15 third-year associate graduates to finish intensive 400-level courses like Climate Change and Environmental Justice with 88 percent retention. Directed by Dr. Lindi Quackenbush, the M.S. in Water Resources Engineering follows a 37-credit, ABET-accredited path specialized for Physical Hydrology, Water Quality, or Computational Modeling with hands-on thesis work at the Cranberry Lake Field Station plus FE Exam prep. Other degrees include the B.S. in Biotechnology, B.S. in Forest Health, M.S. in Polymer Chemistry, M.S. in Entomology, Ph.D. in Wood Science, and Ph.D. in Geospatial Information Science.
About SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry originated in 1911 when Dean Hugh P. Baker welcomed an inaugural all-male class of 52 to Lyman Hall for the New York State College of Forestry. In 1912, its Ranger School was opened in Wanakena for training in the Adirondacks. In 1913, it declared legal independence from Syracuse University with its own 12-acre campus. Two years later, Dean William L. Bray co-founded the Ecological Society of America. In 1930, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt allocated $600,000 to build the school’s second building called Marshall Hall. In 1945, the College graduated its first female Bachelor of Science student. In 1948, it joined the SUNY System as the State University College of Forestry. In 1969, it established one of the earliest Paper and Bioprocess Engineering Departments. By 1972, the Legislature approved its current SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry name.
Endowed for $35.9 million, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry now educates 1,800 undergrad and 400 post-grad Mighty Oaks online, on its nine-building campus adjacent to Syracuse University, or on 25,000 acres of Upstate field stations with 70+ clubs like Taking Root. In 2019, ESF received the New York State Clean Energy Initiative’s REV Campus Leader Award. In 2017, ESF had the Society of American Foresters Barrington Moore Memorial Award finalist. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry won the 2013 Technology Accelerator Fund Grant for $50,000 too. Times Higher Education named ESF the 334th best institution. On Niche, ESF boasts America’s 53rd best housing, 64th top public education, and 111th best engineering degrees. Forbes applauded ESF for the 115th most impactful research. The Princeton Review declared ESF the second greenest school.
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Accreditation Details
On November 16, 2017, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry satisfactorily submitted the Fifth-Year Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) to keep Level VI accreditation current through 2021-22 under President David C. Amberg, Ph.D., who received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. Located 253 miles down Interstate 81 in Philadelphia, this superb six-state Northeast Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and New York State Education Department (NYSED). The 2019-20 Academic Catalog also lists the following program accreditations:
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
- Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board
- Society of American Foresters
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Application Requirements
Starting at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is classified “very selective” by Peterson’s since 1,239 of the 2,018 Fall 2018 applicants were chosen for 61 percent acceptance. First-year Mighty Oaks must hold qualifying high school academic credentials or the GED. Three years of college-prep math and science are mandatory. The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture requires one art or technical drawing course. The Class of 2022 achieved an average secondary GPA of 3.85. The middle 50th percentile had ACT scores of 23-27. Mid-range SAT scores were 520-630 for reading and 550-630 for math. Online B.S. in Sustainable Management cohorts must transfer 60+ accredited credits at GPAs above 2.0. The Graduate School seeks four-year bachelor’s completion with upper-division averages of “B” or better. Master’s and doctoral programs have a mean 3.4 GPA. Current median GRE scores are 153 for verbal and 154 for quantitative.
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry has freshman deadlines of December 1st for Early Decision or January 15th for January 15th. The Guaranteed Transfer program closes on February 1st. Undergrads can transfer until March 1st for Fall or November 1st for Spring. The Graduate School has application target dates of January 15th and November 1st. Accordingly, complete the ESF or Ranger School form online for $50 ($60 if graduate). Send official transcripts to One Forestry Drive in Syracuse, NY 13210. Forward standardized tests using SAT/GRE code 2530 or ACT code 2948. Submit checklist documents, such as the professional goals statement, resume or CV, 2-3 recommendations, research sample, and Early Decision agreement. Contact (315) 470-6500 or [email protected] with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is charging in-state undergrads $7,070 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition is $16,980 by year. Mandatory students fees are $2,045 yearly. Residing at the Syracuse campus’ dorms like Centennial Hall adds $8,850 for rent. Meal plans for the Trailhead Café are $7,420 extra. Room and board at the Wanakena campus is $3,500 and $8,750 respectively though. ESF budgets $1,200 for books, $450 for personal needs, and $800 for transportation. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $27,635 in-state or $37,745 out-of-state. Online B.S. in Sustainability Management majors spend $8,240 each year full-time. The Graduate School bills New Yorkers $11,310 and non-residents $23,100 yearly. Part-time prices range from $472 to $963 per credit.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid in Bray Hall Room 113 links 95 percent of incoming ESF Mighty Oaks to tuition assistance averaging $7,322 each for $2.11 million combined. Institutional funds include the Denise Cerimeli Memorial Scholarship, Gary Hamilton Memorial Scholarship, Vivian Ryan Sutton Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, Syracuse Pulp & Paper Foundation Scholarship, Maurice Alexander Wetland Research Award, Farnsworth Fellowship, Edna Bailey Sussman Scholarship, Marshall Award, and John Meyer Environmental Chemistry Award. The Haudenosaunee Scholar Award gifts $5,000 annually to two full-time bachelor’s students belonging to 16 eligible Native American tribes. The $8,000 Transfer Scholarship supports out-of-state Phi Theta Kappa members with cumulative GPAs above 3.5. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan, require FAFSA applications coded 002851. New Yorkers can also utilize the Excelsior Scholarship, Tuition Assistance Program, Part-Time TAP Grant, or Math and Science Teaching Incentive Scholarship.
Explore 10 cutting-edge departments with 80+ practical, in-demand STEM degrees placed 71st overall by Money magazine at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry website.