Getting in
For Fall 2025, 4,954 first-year students applied to SUNY ESF, 4,197 were admitted and 374 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 84.7%.
Source: SUNY ESF Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 3,798 | 3,150 | 82.9% |
| Out-of-state | 1,030 | 921 | 89.4% |
| International | 132 | 120 | 90.9% |
Source: SUNY ESF Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table (its totals, 4,960 applied and 4,191 admitted, differ slightly from the C1 totals). Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. ESF's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole college, with no rate by department or major.
Source: SUNY ESF Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early action. ESF has no early decision plan. Its Common Data Set gives no early action counts, so it gives no early acceptance rate.
Source: SUNY ESF Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Every first-year applicant needs three years each of college preparatory math and science (four are highly recommended). Two programs add to that:
- Landscape Architecture. Art, architectural or technical drawing courses are highly recommended.
- 3+3 Doctor of Physical Therapy (with Upstate Medical University). Apply through the SUNY application, not the Common App.
Source: SUNY ESF Admissions, First-Year Admission (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
23 majors across 2 schools. Every bachelor's degree program in ESF's 2026-27 Academic Catalog, grouped by the degree it leads to. Associate degrees, minors and graduate programs are left out.
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture1
- Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.)
Source: SUNY ESF Academic Catalog 2026-27, Degree Programs and Areas of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Science22
- Aquatic and Fisheries Science (B.S.)
- Biochemistry (B.S.)
- Bioprocess Engineering (B.S.)
- Biotechnology (B.S.)
- Chemical Engineering (B.S.)
- Chemistry (B.S.)
- Conservation Biology (B.S.)
- Construction Management (B.S.)
- Environmental Biology (B.S.)
- Environmental Education and Interpretation (B.S.)
- Environmental Health (B.S.)
- Environmental Resources Engineering (B.S.)
- Environmental Science (B.S.)
- Environmental Studies (B.S.)
- Forest Ecosystem Science (B.S.)
- Forest Health (B.S.)
- Forest Resources Management (B.S.)
- Natural Resources Management (B.S.)
- Paper Engineering (B.S.)
- Sustainability Management (B.S.)Online program.
- Sustainable Energy Management (B.S.)
- Wildlife Science (B.S.)
Source: SUNY ESF Academic Catalog 2026-27, Degree Programs and Areas of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Action | November 15 | not published | No |
| Regular admission (priority date) | February 15 | not published | No |
Applications after February 15 are considered as space allows, and review starts only once every supporting document arrives. ESF's admissions page gives no decision dates; its Common Data Set lists January 15 as the early action notification date and says decisions go out on a rolling basis from September 1. A third path, Guaranteed Transfer (apply by January 15), admits high school seniors to transfer to ESF later, after study at another college.
Source: SUNY ESF Admissions, First-Year Admission (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Action is not binding: you get an early answer but do not have to commit until May 1.
Source: SUNY ESF Admissions, First-Year Admission (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
SUNY has suspended SAT and ACT requirements for admission to its bachelor's degree campuses, ESF included. You choose whether to have scores considered at each SUNY college you apply to.
Source: SUNY ESF Admissions, First-Year Admission (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for fall 2027 applicants, but considered if submitted.
Source: SUNY ESF Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked SUNY ESF's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: SUNY ESF Admissions, First-Year Admission (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at SUNY ESF, 2025-2026:
| Item | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $7,070 | $21,030 |
| Required fees | $2,200 | $2,200 |
| Housing (on campus, double room) | $10,610 | $10,610 |
| Food (meal plan) | $8,120 | $8,120 |
| Books and supplies | $1,260 | $1,260 |
| Transportation | $600 | $800 |
| Personal expenses | $450 | $450 |
| Total | $30,310 | $44,470 |
For a new full-time undergraduate on the Syracuse campus, living in a Centennial Hall double room (Room Plan A, for new students). This is the 2025-26 budget, the latest ESF has posted.
Source: SUNY ESF Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance Academic Year 2025-26 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $9,473 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $11,635 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $18,870 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,953 |
| Over $110,000 | $24,014 |
| All incomes | $18,952 |
What first-year, full-time, in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from ESF's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is a specialist college. The first four universities have their own colleges of forestry or natural resources; the rest are the closest schools by acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR · Public78.9% admitted$19,604 average net price
Colorado State UniversityFort Collins, CO · Public88.6% admitted$21,279 average net price
University of VermontBurlington, VT · Public73% admitted$19,343 average net price
University of MontanaMissoula, MT · Public95.2% admitted$16,784 average net price
University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY · Public80.6% admitted$20,995 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.