2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools
69
Ranked Colleges
3,106
Degrees Awarded
$15,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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” ranking.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 218th most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools” ranking looked at 69 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks & rec students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.
BYU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,474 for parks & rec students per year to attend BYU.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at BYU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $17,634 for parks & rec students per year to attend Winona State University.
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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Winona State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $16,438 for parks & rec students 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 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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UNI
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest Missouri State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
Northwest also took the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $12,925 for Parks & Rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #5 spot on the list. Kearney, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
UNK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Kearney is $17,099 for Parks & Rec students.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UNK
California State University - Long Beach landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. California State University - Long Beach 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 California State University - Long Beach
Northern Arizona University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. NAU is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $14,308 for parks & rec students.
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%.
Full NAU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
California State University - Chico ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 99 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,218 for parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Chico
Pittsburg State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $14,575 for Parks & Rec students per year to attend Pitt State.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Pittsburg State University
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for Parks & Rec students.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
San Jose State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,542 for Parks & Rec students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #12, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. University of Utah is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 76 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students list, U of U has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,572 for parks & rec students per year to attend U of U.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 Utah
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. Kutztown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is $23,227 for Parks & Rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Kutztown University
California State University - Sacramento landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 100 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $11,178 for parks & rec students per year to attend Sac State.
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 more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Sac State
Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Arizona State University - Skysong Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. OSU is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 35 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $14,237 for parks & rec students per year to attend OSU.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full OSU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Georgia Southern University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. Located in Statesboro, Georgia, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend GaSou is $15,571 for Parks & Rec students.
Full GaSou Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #18, University of Southern Mississippi did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. University of Southern Mississippi is a fairly large public school situated in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Miss is $14,032 for parks & rec students.
Full Southern Miss Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
San Francisco State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $14,459 for Parks & Rec students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Francisco State University
SUNY Cortland ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. This medium-sized school is located in Cortland, New York, and it awarded 23 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Cortland also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $19,273 for Parks & Rec students per year to attend SUNY Cortland.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Full SUNY Cortland Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
East Carolina University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. ECU is located in Greenville, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $16,550 for parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at East Carolina University
California State University - Fresno landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 37 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $6,230 for Parks & Rec students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Fresno
Southeast Missouri State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is a medium-sized school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri that handed out 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,568 for parks & rec students per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southeast Missouri State University
Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking, coming in at #24. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $16,718 for parks & rec students per year to attend Missouri State.
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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Missouri State University - Springfield
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 142 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students list, UIUC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for Parks & Rec students per year to attend UIUC.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UIUC
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