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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k)

77 Ranked Colleges
2,732 Degrees Awarded
$9,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 191st most popular major in the country with 3,224 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,732 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 77 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.

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k)

#1 in overall quality

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 #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 99 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,464 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 77 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 181 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#20 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Fresno State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,418 for bachelor’s degree 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 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UMN Twin Cities

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 87 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Long Beach

#6

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lehman is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,289 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman.

Full Lehman Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Sac State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $7,823 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 California State University - Sacramento Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#6 in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. BYU is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $10,425 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at BYU

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 126 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,595 for bachelor’s degree 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 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 University of Missouri - Columbia

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for bachelor’s degree 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 low 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 San Diego State University

Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. This medium-sized school is located in Durant, Oklahoma, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,704 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

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

#23 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,992 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UMN Duluth

With a ranking of #13, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $9,962 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at OSU

#14

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherd University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Shepherd University is a small school located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia that handed out 40 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Shepherd University is $8,377 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Shepherd University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#15

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $10,808 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UNC Greensboro Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#16

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,495 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNI.

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 student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 University of Northern Iowa

#17

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

Winona State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winona State is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 38 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $13,606 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#18

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $11,752 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full San Jose State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#19

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Cheney, Washington, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,821 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend EWU.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at EWU

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwest Missouri State University is a medium-sized school located in Maryville, Missouri that handed out 43 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $9,863 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest

#21

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas
#10 in overall quality

University of Arkansas ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UARK is a large school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that handed out 101 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UARK has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $13,132 for bachelor’s degree 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 85%.

Full University of Arkansas Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#25 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 32 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Cal State East Bay

#23

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

With a ranking of #23, MSU Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. MSU Texas is located in Wichita Falls, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,554 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at MSU Texas

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 87 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $11,576 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Chico State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#25

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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.

It costs about $11,973 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pitt State.

Full Pittsburg State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

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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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