2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid
12
Ranked Colleges
444
Degrees Awarded
$16,300
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 was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
Across the Plains States region, there were 444 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation and leisure studies programs, but they also 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
The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid”.
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. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest Missouri State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $12,925 for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest Missouri State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Northern Iowa 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 in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $16,438 for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Northern Iowa
Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 53 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,401 for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
The low undergrad 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Iowa Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Winona State is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Winona State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $17,634 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Winona State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Winona State University
Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #5 spot on the list. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 116 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,559 for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Missouri - Columbia Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #6, Pittsburg State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
Pitt State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt State is $14,575 for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
Full Pittsburg State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,878 for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and it awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UNK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNK is $17,099 for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UNK Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Southeast Missouri State University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,568 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.
Full Southeast Missouri State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Missouri State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,718 for plains states region parks & rec students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Missouri State
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