I am going to walk you through what the federal government reports about this school: what it is, whom it admits, how much it costs, who stays and who leaves, and what a student finds once enrolled. It is not everything you need to know. It is the piece I can give you with certainty, so you can add it to what only you and your child know: what your child wants to study and what you can afford.
Who this school is, in a nutshell
SUNY ESF is a four-year public college located in Syracuse, New York, within Onondaga County and its metropolitan area. It is among the schools Carnegie classifies as doctoral institutions with high research activity, and its profile describes it as a small, primarily residential four-year institution: a few years ago, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 undergraduates lived in housing controlled by the institution itself.
It offers programs through the doctoral level, although that is general institutional information, not a promise that the exact program your child is interested in extends to that level. And something is worth saying right away because it clears up potential questions: it is not a historically Black college or university, it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. None of those three labels applies here. That says nothing about which communities it serves today or how your child will feel on this campus; ask about that directly, including specific cultural centers and student organizations.
Carnegie also identifies it as a more selective institution and a frequent destination for transfer students. Being more selective describes whom it admits, not how well it teaches. And if your child plans to transfer here, the label does not tell you how many credits will transfer or how many will be lost along the way. Ask for that in writing before taking the next step.
If living at home is part of the plan, location information does not resolve the actual logistics. Drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the time your child would have class. GPS almost never tells the whole truth.
A small community, and what that does and does not mean
In fall 2023, SUNY ESF had 2,737 enrolled students: 2,346 undergraduates and 391 graduate students. Above all, it is an undergraduate institution. Compared with the other 519 selective four-year public institutions, it is on the small side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, have more students.
Small does not mean better attention for your child, just as large does not mean more options. What matters is asking about the specific program, not the entire school.
Within that community, 11 out of every 100 undergraduates are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, although this share is above the midpoint among those 519 similar schools. Students ages 25 to 64 are also few, at 5 out of every 100; the distribution between men and women is nearly even, with women making up 54 out of every 100; and 75 out of every 100 first-time students came from the same state of New York.
If your child is Latino, your child will be part of a small group here. That does not remove the school from the list. It is a reason to ask during the visit what specifically exists for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the offices who speaks Spanish. And keep the comparison's limitation in mind: it is based on school type, not state, so it does not account for New York's own demographic composition.
How the academic year is structured
The calendar follows semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution accepts credit from AP exams, although it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience, and it does report accepting credit for military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Saying that it accepts AP does not tell you what scores it requires, how many credits it awards, or whether those credits apply to your child's exact program. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for the student-to-instructional-staff ratio, the official figure is 14 full-time-equivalent students for each full-time-equivalent staff member. It is a low ratio compared with similar schools: it falls below the midpoint among those 519 institutions. But an aggregate number like this does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. Do not use it to picture small classes; use it as a starting point for questions.
Where the degrees are concentrated
In the most recently reported year, SUNY ESF awarded 368 bachelor's degrees across 7 fields of study. By far, the field with the most degrees was biological and biomedical sciences: 144 of the 368, or 39 out of every 100. Compared with the other 514 similar schools, it falls in the quartile with the fewest fields represented among its reported bachelor's degree offerings.
This counts degrees awarded in one year, not people or the complete program catalog. It does not measure quality or what kind of job someone gets afterward. What it does tell you clearly is where this school's academic emphasis lies. If the program your child is interested in falls within that biological and environmental concentration, that is a strong point in its favor. If not, ask exactly how many students graduate from that program, how long it takes them, and what the curriculum is like.
At the institutional level, the school also reports one structured academic opportunity: study abroad. The official report provides no further details about other formal pathways; ask the institution directly about anything else that may be available.
Getting in: what is required and what helps
SUNY ESF does not have open admission. Its review involves specific components. Of the nine considerations covered by the federal report, four are required: the high school record, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory curriculum required by the university, and an English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and work experience.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English proficiency exam applies and what would qualify your child for an exemption. This is the kind of thing families discover late, when it is already harder to address. The published undergraduate application fee is $50.
And here is an important point: SUNY ESF reported that it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admission decision, even if they are submitted. That does not tell you whether it uses them for scholarships or course placement; ask about that separately.
How many get in, and how many of those admitted stay
In the 2023 cycle, out of 3,541 first-time applicants, 2,937 were offered admission. That is 83 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar selective public schools, this is a common percentage, slightly above the midpoint of that group. Seven or eight out of ten received a yes. That is not the same as saying admission is automatic, and your child has reason both to apply and not to leave it until the last minute. Also remember that this figure comes from a single cycle: when it is your child's turn, check the number again for the relevant year.
Now comes a figure that often surprises families: out of every 100 students admitted in 2023, only 14 enrolled. Put another way, out of every 7 young people who received a yes, about one ended up attending. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is on the low side.
Do not read that as a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each admitted student made the choice they did; many already had a place and simply chose another path. What I can tell you clearly is this: what others decided does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your letter with the net price—what the year will actually cost—and use that number to decide whether this school remains on the list.
If transfer is the route
Of a cohort that entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 23 out of every 100 transferred without completing here and enrolled at another institution. On the other hand, in fall 2023, 193 undergraduates entered SUNY ESF for the first time after attending another institution. Changing schools is not failing. It is wise for your child to know in advance how to request the paperwork and which courses will be accepted, in writing, before making the move.
The sticker price, and what is actually paid
At SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, among 27 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $8,211. Among 17 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $18,458; among 83 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $23,955. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $15,744 between the average for the lowest-income band (27 students) and the average for the highest-income band (83 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $19,644.
The advertised price is not the same as the price paid. Here, for low-income students, the average net price was $8,211 in academic year 2022-23.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The award letter you receive is what matters.
The aid that is available, and how it is distributed
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students here, 82 received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid, with an average of $8,192 per year among recipients. The Pell Grant—federal aid for low-income families—reached 26 out of every 100. The gap between the two figures may include state aid, institutional aid, or other sources that this report does not separate; ask directly which programs make up the difference.
When your admission letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters mix them together in a single column, and that is where a family can become confused about how much it actually owes.
As for loans: 42 out of every 100 undergraduates received a federal student loan in school year 2022-23, with an average of $6,108 among borrowers. That percentage is common compared with similar schools. It does not include parent PLUS loans or debt from banks or credit cards, and it is not cumulative debt at graduation: it covers a single year. What your child would actually need to borrow is determined by your child's own financial aid award letter, not this overall average.
The institution also reports a tuition installment payment plan and participation in a Promise program, two mechanisms worth asking about in detail if monthly cash flow is a concern for your family.
Campus life, athletics, and available support
SUNY ESF has institution-controlled housing, although it is not required for all first-time, full-time students, with a reported capacity of 620 students. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The existence of a room does not guarantee an available bed; ask in writing for the annual rate, the housing application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list.
ROTC is available in two branches: Army and Air Force. Navy is not listed. Its appearance in the report does not indicate whether the program is conducted specifically on this campus; ask about it by name before building your child's plan around it.
The school competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association), not the NCAA or the NAIA. If athletics are part of the plan, write directly to the coach: ask whether there is room on the team, what division it competes in, and whether that sport offers scholarships.
It offers undergraduate and graduate distance education, although in practice it is marginal: only 2 out of every 100 undergraduates took all their classes remotely; the rest took at least one class in person. The library operates with paid staff, reports annual expenditures above the $100,000 threshold tracked by the government, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee access to specific databases for your child's program; ask about those by program name.
In terms of institutional support, the school reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a point of contact for veterans and military service members, a student veterans organization, and a webpage for disability services.
Who stays, and who completes the degree
Here is one of the strongest figures in this entire report. Of a cohort of 340 first-time, full-time students who entered in fall 2022, 289 were still enrolled here or had already completed a bachelor's degree one year later: 85 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar schools, it ranks in the upper part of that group.
That is a high retention figure, but do not confuse retention with degree completion: the figure combines those who remain enrolled with those who have already graduated, without separating the two.
As for actual graduation: of a cohort of 326 full-time students who began bachelor's degree programs in 2017, 223 had graduated here within six years. That is 68 out of every 100. Within the shorter four-year period, the figure falls to 59 out of every 100. Compared with 518 similar schools, it ranks in the top quartile: three out of four of those schools, or more, reported an equal or lower proportion.
It is worth looking at the full breakdown for that same cohort of 326: 223 graduated here, 5 completed a shorter program within the time period, 75 transferred without completing here, 4 remained enrolled without completing, and 19 were classified as "no longer enrolled" as of the reporting date, a category that does not explain why.
| At six years, out of 326 students | Number |
|---|---|
| Graduated here | 223 |
| Completed a short program here | 5 |
| Transferred without completing here | 75 |
| Remained enrolled without completing | 4 |
| No longer enrolled | 19 |
And there is a third, longer-term view: an annual cohort of 576 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—full-time and part-time, with and without prior experience—was followed through August 2023. At the eight-year reporting point, 79 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 77 out of every 100, just 2 points lower. Compared with similar schools, SUNY ESF is among those where the most people graduate within eight years: nine out of ten similar schools, or more, reported an equal or lower proportion.
These numbers are strong and consistent across several measures. But no high percentage predicts your child's individual outcome. It describes an earlier cohort; it does not promise the outcome of your child's cohort. It is worth asking about the current support available in the exact program your child is interested in and about the outcomes of the most recent cohorts.
What this article cannot tell you
This report does not cover what happens after graduation: it has no data on employment, salaries, or debt upon completing the degree. That requires another source, and it is worth looking for separately when the time comes.
How to use all of this
You now know, in considerable depth, one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what this college actually is and offers, according to its own official reports. It is a medium-sized public school with a strong identity in the biological and environmental sciences, a solid graduation rate compared with similar schools, a small Latino community, a high sticker price that falls considerably for lower-income families, and a low enrollment rate after admission relative to similar schools—which, as we have seen, says more about other people's decisions than about what you will be offered.
The other two pieces are still missing: what your child wants to study and has already built, and what your family can and is willing to pay. No college, however good it may look in a report, can replace those two conversations that only your family can have at home.
With this piece in hand, you can now ask the right questions when you speak with admissions, when the financial aid award letter arrives, and when your child decides whether this school deserves a place on the final list.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, except where another period is indicated. Best College Aid does not represent SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry or any government agency; this article is for informational purposes.