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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

15 Ranked Colleges
506 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 3,224 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 191st most popular in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 521 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 506 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation and leisure studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mizzou has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Mizzou

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $10,757 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UNI

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 10 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UMN Duluth

#5

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Winona State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $12,381 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#2 in overall quality

University of Iowa landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Iowa

#10 in overall quality

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwest has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwest is $9,990 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northwest Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $10,490 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNOMAHA.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha

#6 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public institution located in Kearney, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNK also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNK is $13,078 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Nebraska at Kearney

#10

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Emporia State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emporia State University is located in Emporia, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

ESU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,624 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ESU.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Emporia State University

#11

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri
#15 in overall quality

Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Southeast Missouri State University is a fairly large school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri that handed out 13 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Southeast Missouri State University also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $9,092 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southeast Missouri State University

#12

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Pittsburg State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt State is $10,638 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Pitt State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#9 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $12,527 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Missouri State

#14

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#14 in overall quality

Lindenwood University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized school located in Saint Charles, Missouri that handed out 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Lindenwood University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $14,388 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Full Lindenwood University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#15

Baker University

Baldwin City, Kansas
#13 in overall quality

Baker University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Baker is a small school located in Baldwin City, Kansas that handed out 2 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Baker not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Baker University is $18,825 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Baker University

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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.

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