2026 Best Outdoor Education Schools in the The Plains States Region
Outdoor Education programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best outdoor education schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Outdoor Education in the The Plains States Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the outdoor education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Outdoor Education
Minnesota State University Mankato tops our 2026 ranking of the best outdoor education schools. Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public school located in the city of Mankato. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. Minnesota State University Mankato awarded about 13 outdoor education degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their outdoor education degree from Minnesota State University Mankato earn around $53,088 in the first couple years of their career. Minnesota State University Mankato graduates carry a median of $25,260 in student loans.
Get the full outdoor education details for Minnesota State University Mankato
Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best outdoor education schools. Located in the town of Hibbing, Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College is a mid-sized public university. There were roughly 17 outdoor education students who graduated with this degree at Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College in the most recent data year. Outdoor Education graduates of Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College earn a median of $44,387 early in their careers. Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College graduates carry a median of $17,029 in student loans.
Get the full outdoor education details for Hibbing Community College A Technical And Community College
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.
- 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.
