2027 Best Value Outdoor Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Outdoor Education](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/outdoor-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 1 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value outdoor education schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Outdoor Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in outdoor education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Outdoor Education Schools
Central Michigan University earned the #1 spot for value among outdoor education schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,480 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for outdoor education graduates is $27,857. Soon after graduation, outdoor education degree recipients from Central Michigan University generally make around $50,688. Set against $27,857 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Narrow Outdoor Education Schools by State
More Outdoor Education Rankings
View All Outdoor Education Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the one ranked school only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
