2027 Best Value Outdoor Education Master’s Degree Schools
[Outdoor Education](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/outdoor-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for outdoor education students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Outdoor Education Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the outdoor education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Outdoor Education Schools
For return on investment in outdoor education, no school beat Western Carolina University this year. Set in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,630, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,174 to complete the outdoor education program here. Soon after graduation, outdoor education degree recipients from Western Carolina University generally make around $44,926. Set against $24,174 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Carolina University admits about 82% of applicants.
Prescott College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value outdoor education schools. Prescott College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Prescott. Students from in state pay about $34,490 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,230 to complete the outdoor education program here. Soon after graduation, outdoor education degree recipients from Prescott College generally make around $42,966. Set against $27,230 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Other Outdoor Education Degree Levels
Explore the best-value outdoor education schools at other degree levels:
View All Outdoor Education Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools 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.
