2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Outdoor Education (With Aid)

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Outdoor Education is the 314th most popular major in the country with 255 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, outdoor education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $0 and had an average of $0 in loans still to pay off.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 21 outdoor education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 3 colleges that offer a degree in outdoor education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent outdoor education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the outdoor education program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Outdoor Education Schools

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 a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Outdoor Education (With Aid)

#1

Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, Minnesota

#2 in overall quality

$8,788 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$33,993 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Outdoor Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Minnesota State University - Mankato are $8,788, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Minnesota State Mankato

#2

Plymouth State University

Plymouth, New Hampshire

#1 in overall quality

$14,550 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Plymouth State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Plymouth, New Hampshire, and it awarded 9 masters’s outdoor ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Plymouth State also made our “Best Outdoor Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Plymouth State are $14,550, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Plymouth State

#3

Alaska Pacific University

Anchorage, Alaska

$12,110 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Alaska Pacific University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Outdoor Ed Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Alaska Pacific University is a small school located in Anchorage, Alaska that handed out 5 masters’s outdoor ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Alaska Pacific, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Outdoor Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Alaska Pacific are $12,110, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Alaska Pacific University

Notes and References

References

• 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to SLenartowicz.

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