Bachelor's · Syracuse, New York
Is Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 8 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $34,994
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $53,717
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $15,000
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $78k (likely $78k – $95k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $16k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NY
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 8 years (likely 6.5–10.5)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$113k (likely −$171k – −$65k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $97k (likely −$17k – $219k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 72%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology at other schools
🌱 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward animals, plants & the planet majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Biology
- AP Environmental Science
- AP Chemistry
- AP Statistics
IB Higher Level
- Biology HL
- Environmental Systems and Societies
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Construction Trades, Other (Bachelor's)$99,249
- Engineering, General (Bachelor's)$74,307
- Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy (Bachelor's)$65,604
- Landscape Architecture (Bachelor's)$59,480
- Forestry (Bachelor's)$57,664
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's)$49,489
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Associate's)$46,689
- Zoology/Animal Biology (Bachelor's)$42,505
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology at other schools in New York
- New York University$65,406
- Stony Brook University$53,747
- Siena University$49,016
- State University of New York at Plattsburgh$44,153
- St Lawrence University$41,638