SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

SUNY ESF is both online and on campus. Its bachelor’s degree in sustainability management is the only degree available 100% online through SUNY’s Open Academy. This program is designed specifically for transfer students with associate degrees. 

Online degrees from SUNY ESF are legitimate because an accredited institution confers them. SUNY ESF is accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Accreditation is important because it shows that a school has successfully undergone an extensive review process by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized agency. An agency, such as MSCHE, reviews a school’s fiscal policies regularly to ensure they are ethical and academic rigor is of high quality. Accreditation is also crucial for transferring credits from one institution to another. For these reasons, OnlineU only includes accredited online institutions on its site.

SUNY ESF is known for being committed to creating a sustainable environment, and it's considered the premier college in the nation focused on the science, design, engineering, and management of natural resources and the environment. Its main campus rests on 25,000 acres in Syracuse. It has regional campuses and field stations in Central New York and the Adirondacks. 

SUNY ESF’s combined mission and vision statement is “improve your world.” To achieve this goal, SUNY ESF students are known for their community service involvement and for working together to create and maintain healthy ecosystems and natural resources. Part of this commitment includes helping with disaster relief efforts in areas devastated by adverse weather events, such as tornadoes and hurricanes.

Engineering, landscape architecture, and natural resource and conservation research degrees at SUNY ESF provide the highest earnings for graduates based on data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Alumni with these degrees earn approximately $67,700, $50,700, and $44,700, respectively. However, it's important to note that these degrees are only available through SUNY’s on-campus programs. 

SUNY’s online sustainability management bachelor’s degree is the closest match to a natural resource and conservation research degree. SUNY ESF’s bachelor’s degree has a salary score of 44. This is OnlineU's proprietary Salary Score, which ranks colleges by how much their alumni earn compared to graduates with the same degree across the country. 

According to College Scorecard, getting into SUNY ESF is relatively difficult; only 60% of applicants are accepted. However, it has temporarily suspended its entrance exam requirement for admissions. Students can still submit SAT or ACT scores if they believe they accurately reflect their ability. Combined SAT scores for SUNY ESF students are generally between 1130 and 1300, and ACT scores are between 24 and 30 on average. 

Additionally, consideration is given to sustainability management applicants with strong backgrounds in math and science and prior learning applicable to this transfer program. 

Applying to college generally requires planning. It's important to give yourself enough time to ensure things are in order and that you have what’s necessary to be considered for enrollment. Advisors are available to assist with the enrollment process and answer questions. 

Applying to SUNY ESF requires the following:

• A completed online application 
• A $50 application fee, if ineligible for a fee waiver
• Official college transcripts submitted electronically
• Official military transcripts, if applicable
• SAT or ACT scores (optional)
• Written answers to ESF's supplemental questions

If you’re still undecided about which school best suits your needs, our list of the most popular online colleges provides additional options to explore.