# Outdoor Education

> A program that prepares individuals to work as an educator, instructor or facilitator in parks, recreational facilities, camps and other outdoor settings. Includes instruction in leadership skills, wilderness survival skills, first aid, group processes, counseling techniques, environmental studies and instruction in recreational activities such as rock climbing, ropes courses, backpacking, kayaking and canoeing.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/outdoor-education
- CIP code: 31.06 (Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology)
- Colleges offering it: 30 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 19 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 13 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 30 | $30,117 | $37,588 | $27,359 |
| Master's | 5 | not reported | not reported | $41,455 |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Fort Lewis College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/fort-lewis-college-993) | Durango, CO | $39,598 | not reported |
| [Vermont Technical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/vermont-technical-college-3121) | Randolph, VT | $35,579 | not reported |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-entertainment-and-recreation-workers-except-gambling-services): $48,560 median pay
- [Recreation Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/recreation-workers): $36,560 median pay

## More in Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology

- [Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/sports-kinesiology-and-physical-education-fitness): 943 colleges
- [Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/parks-recreation-and-leisure-studies): 120 colleges
- [Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/parks-recreation-and-leisure-facilities-management): 110 colleges
- Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other: 18 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/