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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major

25 Ranked Colleges
179 Degrees Awarded
$27,786 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Outdoor Education is the 313th most popular major in the country with 313 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , outdoor education graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $27,786 and had an average of $0 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 179 outdoor education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer a degree in outdoor education. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their outdoor education program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major” list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree outdoor ed students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Outdoor Education

1
Sterling crest
Sterling College
Craftsbury Common, Vermont

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sterling College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. Located in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s outdoor ed students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Sterling College

2
Brevard College crest
Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Brevard College landed the #2 spot on the list. Brevard College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Brevard, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brevard College Outdoor Education Report

3
Prescot College crest
Prescott College
Prescott, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Prescott College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. Prescot College is located in Prescott, Arizona and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Prescott College

4
YHC crest
Young Harris College
Young Harris, Georgia

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Young Harris College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Young Harris, Georgia, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at YHC

5
Montreat College crest
Montreat College
Montreat, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Montreat College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. Montreat College is a small school located in Montreat, North Carolina that handed out 3 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Montreat College

6
Toccoa Falls crest
Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls, Georgia

With a ranking of #6, Toccoa Falls College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. Toccoa Falls is a private not-for-profit institution located in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Toccoa Falls

7

With a ranking of #7, Northern Vermont University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. Johnson, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Northern Vermont University

8
Northland crest
Northland College
Ashland, Wisconsin

Northland College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking, coming in at #8. Northland is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Wisconsin. It awarded 5 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Northland College Outdoor Education Report

9
Unity crest
Unity College
New Gloucester, Maine

Unity College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. Unity College is a small school located in New Gloucester, Maine that handed out 4 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Unity College

10
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

Fort Lewis College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. Durango, Colorado is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees to 21 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Fort Lewis College

11
BHSU crest
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, South Dakota

Black Hills State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking. This small school is located in Spearfish, South Dakota, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full BHSU Outdoor Education Report

12
JBU crest
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, Arkansas

John Brown University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking. JBU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at John Brown University

13
Westminster College Salt Lake crest
Westminster College Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

Westminster College Utah landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s outdoor ed students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Westminster College Utah

14
Asbury crest
Asbury University
Wilmore, Kentucky

Asbury University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking. Asbury is a small school located in Wilmore, Kentucky that handed out 3 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Asbury

15

Colorado Christian University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking. Lakewood, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CCU Outdoor Education Report

16
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York

SUNY Cortland did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking, coming in at #16. Cortland, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at SUNY Cortland

17
NEC crest
New England College
Henniker, New Hampshire

New England College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking. NEC is located in Henniker, New Hampshire and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at New England College

18

Northwest Nazarene University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking. Located in Nampa, Idaho, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s outdoor ed students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at NNU

19
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Central Michigan University

20

Weber State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking, coming in at #20. Weber State University is a large public school situated in Ogden, Utah. It awarded 7 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at WSU

21
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Murray, Kentucky, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Murray State Outdoor Education Report

22
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #22, Liberty University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major list. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Liberty University Outdoor Education Report

23
Gordon College crest
Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts

Gordon College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking, coming in at #23. Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wenham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Outdoor Education at Gordon College

23
Hampshire crest
Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Hampshire College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking, coming in at #23. Hampshire College is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Hampshire

23
Salisbury crest
Salisbury University
Salisbury, Maryland

Salisbury University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Outdoor Ed Major ranking, coming in at #23. Salisbury is a medium-sized school located in Salisbury, Maryland that handed out 5 bachelors’s outdoor ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Outdoor Education at Salisbury University

Notes and References

References

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