2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
69
Ranked Colleges
3,106
Degrees Awarded
$10,100
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 3,106 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 218th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 69 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 160 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,061 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IU Bloomington.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at IU Bloomington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 142 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at CSULB
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 37 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,655 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Fresno State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 100 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,609 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 110 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, BYU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,333 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at BYU
California State University - Chico landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 99 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,040 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Chico Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Northern Arizona University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northern Arizona University is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 59 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
NAU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NAU is $11,320 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at NAU
San Jose State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 40 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $13,378 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 San Jose State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Lehman College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,381 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman College.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Lehman
With a ranking of #12, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, OSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $8,990 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #13, Northwest Missouri State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 29 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwest has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $10,608 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest Missouri State University
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 119 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,194 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. UNI is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UNI also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $13,175 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UNI
University of Utah did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 76 students in 2020-2021.
U of U also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $11,823 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at U of U
University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 116 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Mizzou has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $11,386 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full Mizzou Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Western Washington University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 48 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $11,357 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Western Washington University
University of Iowa ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 53 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Iowa has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $15,508 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Iowa Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $9,274 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at SDSU
Winona State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $12,963 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Winona State
Eastern Washington University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. EWU is a fairly large school located in Cheney, Washington that handed out 10 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $8,595 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at EWU
University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $8,697 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UMN Duluth
California State University - East Bay ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 31 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,025 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Cal State East Bay
Shepherd University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and it awarded 27 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Shepherd University is $9,126 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Shepherd University
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