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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $48-$75k)

77 Ranked Colleges
2,732 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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.

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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 77 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

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 $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $48-$75k)

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 99 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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 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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 181 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,060 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at IU Bloomington

#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec 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. It costs about $7,549 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 77 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSULB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,807 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 77 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #5 spot on the list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 78 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,466 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full BYU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#6

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees 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 yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $12,556 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 126 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $13,145 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

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

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,413 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

Southeastern Oklahoma State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Durant, Oklahoma that handed out 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $9,796 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southeastern Oklahoma State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#10

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherd University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Shepherd University is a public institution located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Shepherd University is $11,719 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#11

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $15,729 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Northern Iowa Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#12

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lehman College 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 $6,993 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lehman.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Lehman College

#13

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

Winona State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Winona State is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $15,140 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

Northwest Missouri State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northwest Missouri State University is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,988 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest Missouri State University

#23 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees 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 UMN Duluth is $12,438 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Minnesota - Duluth

#16

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas
#10 in overall quality

University of Arkansas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.

UARK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $16,336 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Arkansas

#17

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#18 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,730 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full SDSU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#11 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Kearney came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNK is located in Kearney, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UNK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNK is $15,343 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#18

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $10,068 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at MSU Texas

#20

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#22 in overall quality

University of Utah came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 38 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, U of U has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U of U is $14,501 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 U of U

#21

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $18,272 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Iowa.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Iowa

#22

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,397 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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

#23

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 69 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNC Greensboro is $14,166 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UNC Greensboro Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,833 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UNOMAHA

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,116 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

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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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