College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Outdoor Education (Income $0-$30k)

10 Ranked Colleges
265 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 265 people earned their degree in outdoor education, making the major the 313th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, outdoor education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $27,786 and had an average of $18,614 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 10 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in outdoor education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great outdoor education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the outdoor education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Outdoor Ed Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for outdoor ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 10 Best Value Colleges for Outdoor Education (Income $0-$30k)

1
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s outdoor ed degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan also took the #2 spot in our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $10,805 for outdoor ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Central Michigan University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Vermont University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Johnson, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s outdoor ed degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northern Vermont University, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,846 for Outdoor Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Vermont University.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Northern Vermont University

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 10 ’s outdoor ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,692 for Outdoor Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Minnesota State Mankato

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Weber State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Ogden, Utah, this large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s outdoor ed students in 2020-2021.

WSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” list. It costs about $9,748 for Outdoor Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WSU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Weber State University

5
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend SUNY Cortland. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Cortland, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified ’s outdoor ed students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Cortland, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,654 for outdoor ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Cortland.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SUNY Cortland Outdoor Education Report

6
Plymouth State crest
Plymouth State University
Plymouth, New Hampshire

Plymouth State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Plymouth State University is located in Plymouth, New Hampshire and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s outdoor ed degrees to qualified students.

Plymouth State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Plymouth State University is $15,711 for outdoor ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Plymouth State University Outdoor Education Report

7
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

Fort Lewis College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. FLC is a small school located in Durango, Colorado that handed out 10 ’s outdoor ed degrees in 2020-2021.

FLC also made our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $11,492 for outdoor ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FLC.

Full FLC Outdoor Education Report

8
BHSU crest
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, South Dakota

Black Hills State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. BHSU is located in Spearfish, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s outdoor ed degrees to qualified students.

BHSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend BHSU is $14,108 for outdoor ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Black Hills State University Outdoor Education Report

9
Brevard College crest
Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina

Brevard College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brevard College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brevard, North Carolina. It awarded 10 ’s outdoor ed degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brevard College, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brevard College is $21,086 for Outdoor Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Brevard College

10
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Liberty University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Outdoor Education Schools” list. It costs about $29,786 for outdoor ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Liberty University.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Liberty University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options