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2024 Best Outdoor Education Schools

10 Colleges in the United States
265 Outdoor Ed Degrees Awarded
$27,786 Avg Early-Career Salary
Outdoor Education degree programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major ranks #313 out of the 395 majors we look at each year. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Outdoor Education Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 265 degrees in outdoor education during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Outdoor Education School

Best Outdoor Education Schools Your choice of outdoor education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Outdoor Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Outdoor Education Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Outdoor Ed
Master's Degrees in Outdoor Ed

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Outdoor Education Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Outdoor Education in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the outdoor ed degree levels they offer.

10 Top Schools in Outdoor Ed

1

Every student pursuing a degree in outdoor education needs to check out Northern Vermont University. Located in the rural area of Johnson, Northern Vermont University is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 10th out of 11 schools for overall quality in the state of Vermont.

There were about 20 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at Northern Vermont University in the most recent data year. Those outdoor education students who get their degree from Northern Vermont University earn $4,738 more than the standard outdoor ed graduate.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Northern Vermont University

2
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI

Central Michigan University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in outdoor education. Located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #402 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Central Michigan is a great university overall.

There were approximately 16 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Central Michigan University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NH

Plymouth State University is a good option for students interested in a degree in outdoor education. Plymouth State is a small public university located in the remote town of Plymouth. This university ranks 11th out of 17 schools for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were roughly 6 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at Plymouth State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Plymouth State University

4
Brevard College crest
Brevard College
Brevard, NC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NC

It is difficult to beat Brevard College if you want to pursue a degree in outdoor education. Brevard College is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Brevard. This college ranks 71st out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 10 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at Brevard College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Brevard College

5
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, CO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$23,048 Median Starting Salary
$14,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the distant town of Durango, FLC is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 25th out of 33 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were about 10 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at FLC in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the outdoor ed program earn around $23,048 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Fort Lewis College

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In UT
44.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Ogden, WSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #597 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 9 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at WSU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Weber State University

7

Located in the distant town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 17th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.More information about a degree in outdoor education from Western Carolina University

8
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VA
9.1% Growth in Graduates

Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg. A Best Colleges rank of #352 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 11 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Liberty University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In SD

BHSU is a small public university located in the town of Spearfish. This university ranks 12th out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were approximately 8 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at BHSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Black Hills State University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MN
40.0% Growth in Graduates

Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Mankato. A Best Colleges rank of #351 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Minnesota State Mankato is a great university overall.

There were approximately 10 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in outdoor education from Minnesota State University - Mankato

Outdoor Education by Region

View the Best Outdoor Education Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Outdoor Education is one of 4 different types of Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies programs to choose from.

Outdoor Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Outdoor Education 265

View All Outdoor Ed Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Outdoor Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 67,146
Recreation Administration 3,122
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 3,106
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 174

View All Outdoor Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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