What is Experiential Learning?
Experiential learning is an excellent way to tap into hidden strengths and challenge yourself in new ways. It is not a new concept, but it has gained traction in recent years for its ability to help students better understand themselves and how they relate to their communities.
At an experiential-based school, you have the opportunity through classes and other programs to actively engage in your learning and challenge your personal growth. Among the various options for a student after high school, experiential-based colleges and universities are a path worth exploring.
Experiential education is a growing part of many college and university course catalogs, and offerings range from freshman orientation programs that help students prepare for living as independent young adults to structured majors in outdoor education.
Field studies and place-based education are offered as part of many possible programs of study, including hospitality, sports medicine, leadership and more.
Experiential learning opportunities like internships, assisting with faculty research, and other examples of hands-on education help students build professional skills and apply what they are learning in the college classroom to real-world situations.
Universities in the United States also offer experiential learning as part of their study abroad programs. These hands-on learning experiences involve absorbing a language and culture by living in them and are another aspect of experiential education.
What are the Best Colleges for Experiential Learning?
Want to learn through the experience? Looking for the best Colleges for Experiential Learning? Then look no further. Here we have compiled a list which has the top-ranked college for students who are looking at the best dynamic learning environment.
Below, all listed colleges or universities offer students tons of opportunities for hands-on learning, oftentimes through experiences that complement or build upon your classes and coursework.
Explore the many forms of experiential learning by browsing our list below. Good luck!!
Harvard University
The First-Year Outdoor Program (FOP) is Harvard’s oldest and largest pre-orientation program. The program is committed to providing challenging, fun, and life-changing outdoor experiences for both incoming first-year students and undergraduate leaders. FOP is an equal opportunity organization. FOP is a great way to meet new classmates and to ease the adjustment from high school to college.
Ranking: 1st
Tuition Approximately: $45,278
Contact Information: 617-495-7935, Fax: 617-495-4987, fop@fas.harvard.edu
Apply Now: https://fop.fas.harvard.edu
University of Arizona- UA Global
UA Global advances opportunities expressing the UA core mission elements of opportunity, innovation, and impact on a global scale. Do you want your Arizona Experience to have an impact far wider than the city limits? UA Study Abroad provides opportunities to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges beyond the UA campus. These experiences engage students in hands-on projects in the field, in the lab and in the community. Explore opportunities, for service learning, research, internship, clinical shadowing, and field work and take your UA experience to the world. The Global Experiential Learning (GEL) area under the Dean of Students Office integrates travel, education, and service learning to empower students with knowledge, skills, and values to use as they continue their careers at UA and beyond.
Ranking: 2nd
Tuition Approximately: $35,816
Contact Information: (520) 621-0884, Fax: (520) 621-9866
Apply Now: https://global.arizona.edu/study-abroad/experiential-learning
Georgia College
Welcome to the University of Georgia College of Education. As one of the largest public colleges of education in the country, they feel it is their mission to empower the next generation of leaders in education, counseling, health and well-being, and movement sciences. The Office of Experiential Learning is committed to providing a range of field experiences that prepare our graduates to be impactful educators and professionals in a diverse society. They strive to make the process efficient and organized across all programs. The Outdoor Center at Georgia College provides excellent technical training, outdoor recreation education, leadership training and group development experiences.
Ranking: 3rd
Tuition Approximately: In-state $9,170 & Out-of-state $27,518
Contact Information: 706-542-1717, askcoe@uga.edu
Apply Now: https://coe.uga.edu/directory/offices/experiential-learning
Minnesota State University Experiential Education
The Experiential Education graduate program at Minnesota State University offers something beyond your traditional graduate education. They utilize multi-modal approaches to learning, teaching, and leading that integrate direct experience with focused reflection for developing new knowledge, relevant life skills, critical thinking, and respectable dispositions & values. Whether your interest is outdoor adventure programming, K12 education, higher education, corporate training, or something else, this program can fulfill your needs.
Ranking: 4th
Tuition Approximately: In-state $7,836 & Out-of-state $15,580
Contact Information: 1-800-722-0544
Apply Now: https://ed.mnsu.edu/edleadership/msexperientialed/
Hamilton College
Here at Hamilton, there is a wide variety of credit-bearing courses that use experiential learning methods to promote linkages between disciplinary studies and meaningful engagement with the society-at-large. Any Hamilton credit-bearing course using experiential learning methods engages rigorous and structured college-level learning with disciplinary and/or programmatic content and focus, and a complementary pedagogy. Hamilton also has a rich tradition of co-curricular community-based experiential opportunities that allow students to engage in service to the campus and local communities.
Ranking: 5th
Tuition Approximately: $49,500
Contact Information: 315-859-4011
Apply Now: https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/study-what-you-love/advising/experiential-learning
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University views experiential learning as an important component of the liberal arts education it provides its students. Wesleyan takes great care to ensure that the internships for which we award credit adhere to this definition while meeting both our ethical and academic standards. At WU, The Career Center sources, posts, and markets a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities, many of which are credit-eligible.
Ranking: 6th
Tuition Approximately: $49,274
Contact Information: 860-685-2000
Apply Now: https://www.wesleyan.edu/careercenter/students/internships-for-credit/experiential-learning-internship-wesleyan.html
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College offers 30 majors designed to move from the broad to the species through a sequence of core and elective courses. The mission of Kalamazoo College is to prepare its graduates to better understand, live successfully within, and provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world. Kalamazoo College students find experiential education through The College’s Center for Career and Professional Development, Study-abroad programs, Senior Individualized Projects, and Service-learning projects.
Ranking: 7th
Tuition Approximately: $42,946
Contact Information: 269-337-7000, 800-253-3602
Apply Now: http://www.kzoo.edu/k-plan/experiential/
Prescott College
The Prescott College experiential education program is an interdisciplinary curriculum located in Arizona. All Prescott College programs include lots of doing, giving you valuable experience no matter what your area of study and no matter where your learning is taking place. Prescott College offers experientially centered undergraduate and graduate degrees both on campus and via distance learning. Collaboration is emphasized over competition and interdisciplinary inquiry proceeds alongside professional skill development. Students explore the philosophical, psychological, and educational foundations, and learn to apply experiential education in a wide array of educational settings.
Ranking: 8th
Tuition Approximately: $27,503
Contact Information: (877) 350-2100
Apply Now: http://www.prescott.edu/academics/concentrations/experiential-education
Hendrix College
Hendrix is proudly committed to liberal arts education, a tradition that began in ancient Greece and continues to prepare young people for engaged citizenship and to succeed in a global world. Engaging in Active Learning academic program is designed to encourage all Hendrix students to embark on educational adventures in engaged learning. Students are given recognition for completed projects in an Odyssey section of their academic transcripts.
Ranking: 9th
Tuition Approximately: $45,440
Contact Information: 501-329-6811 or 1-800-277-9017
Apply Now: https://www.hendrix.edu/academicaffairs/default.aspx?id=916
Vassar College
Founded in 1861, Vassar College is a highly selective, residential, coeducational liberal arts college. Historically, Vassar has emphasized the importance of learning beyond the classroom and the laboratory. Since 1949, their office has helped students earn academic credit for experiential learning, while simultaneously contributing their skills to hundreds of local agencies and organizations. Community-engaged learning is part of the academic curriculum, and doing fieldwork for academic credit is an effective way that Vassar students can get involved outside of campus.
Ranking: 10th
Tuition Approximately: $56,130
Contact Information: (845) 437-5280, Fax (845) 437-7563
Apply Now: https://communityengagedlearning.vassar.edu
California Institute of Technology
Caltech offers students a robust yet challenging learning and research environment that promotes communication, collaboration, exploration, teamwork, integrity, personal growth, and respect for others. Here students benefit from having access to world-leading faculty, breakthrough research, and small classes, as well as exposure to all areas of basic science, a broad range of interdisciplinary studies, and experiential learning opportunities that can take them around the globe. At Caltech, learning happens everywhere—in the classroom, in the laboratory, over a meal, or in a late-night study group.
Ranking: 11th
Tuition Approximately: $45,390
Contact Information: (626) 395-6341 or ugadmissions@caltech.edu
Apply Now: http://www.admissions.caltech.edu/content/academics
The Evergreen State College
Prior learning is the knowledge and skills gained through work and life experiences. Your experiences can be assessed for college credit. Evergreen values the experience adults bring to college. Adult students have the opportunity to earn academic credit for knowledge acquired through life and work experience through the Prior Learning from Experience (PLE) program. You can earn prior learning credit in several ways, including- Certificated Learning, Credit by Examination, Experiential Learning, and Military Training and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES).
Ranking: 12th
Tuition Approximately: In-state $8,380 & Out-of-state $22,795
Contact Information: (360) 867-6170, Fax: (360) 867-5114, admissions@evergreen.edu
Apply Now: http://www.evergreen.edu/admissions/priorlearningassessment
