HIGHLIGHTS Students' choice of forest-related programmes is inspired mostly by intrinsic factors compared to extrinsic ones. Careers in forest-related nature and biodiversity conservation are more appealing to students out of the 11 fields provided. There was least interest among the students towards work in forest-related industry and non-forest-related fields. Students' interests in forest-related programmes and career aspirations differed across continents. The motivation to pursue forest-related programmes and career aspirations did not vary much across study levels and gender. SUMMARY Despite the relevance of forests to biodiversity and climate change, education and careers related to them are still unattractive to young people. This paper presents findings from a study whose goal is to investigate the motivation and career aspirations of students in forest-related programmes at the university/tertiary level around the globe. The analysis is based on data gathered through a survey of 787 bachelor's, master's, and PhD students from 82 countries. The findings reveal that the choice of forest-related programmes by students is guided by (i) the desire to do beneficial work, specifically to make a positive difference for the environment/communities, (ii) job satisfaction, e.g., enjoyable work, and (iii) working outdoors. With regard to career pathways, students were most interested in working in forest-related nature and biodiversity conservation and least interested in forest-related industry and non-forest-related fields. The study found significant differences across continents regarding student preferences but only a few across study levels and gender. This paper provides useful insights that can help in tailoring forest-related programmes to meet the expectations of the students and universities. .