State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF)

“If you want to save the world, there’s no better place” than State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, where “the forest is the classroom.” With “outdoor facilities and multiple campuses in working forests,” ESF’s greatest strength is its “emphasis on field experience.” One student shares, “For my work-study, I built, maintained, and collected data from eddy covariance flux towers in wetlands around NY state.” Another proudly points to their practical opportunities: “At the ESF Ranger School, there would be days where we would spend from 8 am to 5 pm doing fieldwork.” The popular Cranberry Lake Biological Station also offers “a ton of field courses and unique course offerings that allow students to get hands-on experience in forestry, field techniques, and all sorts of environmental knowledge that is better taught in the field itself.” Across its 25,000 acres of field stations, students revel in exploring “niche interests from tiny fungi, finding alternative fuels, to creating sustainable energy, studying animal diversity, and paper engineering.” Students value that ESF caters to a “very specific career path” that supports “making connections in the field.” That’s driven from the top down as “from running labs to organizing national conferences, there is not a single professor who hasn’t had an impact in the fight to create a sustainable future.” For those passionate about environment science and forestry, SUNY ESF provides singular field experiences and instructors who students feel “are genuinely looking out for me and providing opportunities to support my professional development.”

At SUNY ESF, students agree that “everyone is like-minded in the sense that we are environmentally focused, but there are diverse perspectives of solutions, motivations, and values informing our mindsets.” As one student jokes, “The typical ESF student is very passionate about the environment, or a specific species of insect, or at least going fishing.” Politically, some describe their peers as “left-leaning environmentalists (makes sense, as it IS an environmental science college).” Others contend that “SUNY ESF has a blend of two broad categories: liberal, somewhat hippie, and preservationist biology students, and Republican, often hunters and fishers, conservationist management students. What unites us all is our dear love for the environment.” Regardless of their political views, “students here are empowered to take up space. We organize, speak, and make ourselves known. The campus is by us, for us.” The cooperative vibe crosses through to academics, too. “The student body is just so chill, non-competitive, and supportive…It makes you want to be there and succeed,” says one student. Composed of future “environmentalists, leaders, managers, idealists, [and] scientists,” the SUNY ESF student body is singular in its shared “goal of being a steward of the natural world and the resources it provides.”

With buildings adorned with landscape murals and wildlife photographs, the “passion for sustainability and positive change is one that can be recognized instantly when you’re on our campus.” For example, “we have a single-use plastic ban and make sure all the products we use are recyclable or compostable.” Student groups have the same focus, with popular groups including the Plant Propagation Club, which runs a greenhouse, and the Urban Food Forest Project, where students plant “edible trees/bushes in underserved communities in the town.” Each April, students across campus unite for Earth Week, culminating in Quadstock, a lively concert of student bands that draws the whole school together for “a good time.” There’s also “a contract we have with Syracuse University, [where] we are allowed to use their clubs and recreational facilities,” which expands the options students already have at ESF. Activities at ESF give students the chance to connect and celebrate their “community of people who are all dedicated to protecting the environment.”

SUNY-ESF students take “specific courses with specialized programs that allow for very high job placement after graduation.” Many say they are also getting a career boost in terms of the “opportunities for interaction with professors and administrators. First year students are doing research and we have the ability to become close to high level administrators, including the president.” The Employer Partnership Program builds on the school’s relationships with major companies in industries like sustainability, electrical engineering, and energy. Students can take advantage of the school’s many experiential learning opportunities through internships and (paid) micro-Internships and projects to demonstrate their abilities to these companies. Career and Internships Fairs regularly draw around 90 employers and organizations. SUNY-ESF alums who visited PayScale.com reported a median starting salary of $59,900, and 56 percent stated that they derive a high level of meaning from their careers.