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Outdoor Education

Instructional content is defined in code 31.0601.

Types of Degrees Outdoor Education Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Outdoor Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	27
Associate’s Degree	49
Bachelor’s Degree	164
Master’s Degree	96

What Outdoor Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Outdoor Education build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Outdoor Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Outdoor Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Outdoor Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Coordination — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Outdoor Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Outdoor Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Outdoor Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Timekeeping software	Time accounting software	—
Inventory management systems	Inventory management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Work scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Point of sale POS software	Point of sale POS software	—
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Outdoor Education graduates include:

• Parks Recreation Director
• Recreation Coordinator
• Parks Recreation Coordinator
• Park Recreation Manager
• Head Usher
• Golf Course Manager
• Spa Coordinator
• Summer Camp Supervisor
• Salon Manager
• Bowling Alley Operator
• Salon Leader
• Chief Airport Guide
• Rides Supervisor
• Salon Director
• Service Captain

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Outdoor Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	62.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	25.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.1%
Postsecondary certificate	3.2%
Less than a high school diploma	0.7%
Some college courses	0.5%
Master’s degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Outdoor Education?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 48.2% women and 51.8% men among Outdoor Education graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	162	48.2%
Men	174	51.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Outdoor Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	290	86.3%
Asian	4	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino	14	4.2%
Black or African American	5	1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.6%
Two or More Races	7	2.1%
Race Unknown	11	3.3%
International Students	3	0.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Outdoor Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Outdoor Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$21,413
4 years	$46,136
5 years	$47,445

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,445 — roughly 122% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Outdoor Education Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Outdoor Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	2
Master’s	3	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Outdoor Education Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Outdoor Education graduates earn a median of $46,136 four years after completion — roughly 21% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Parks Recreation Fitness	70,398
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	65,261
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management	2,291
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies	2,155
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other	355
PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.