2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 3,224 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 152nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,957 and had an average of $22,487 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 323 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,825 and $18,443 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 189 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 5 colleges that offer 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.

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 5 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Durant, Oklahoma

#2 in overall quality

$6,102 Average Net Price

$32,284 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public institution located in Durant, Oklahoma. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $6,102 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#2

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

Stillwater, Oklahoma

#1 in overall quality

$8,669 Average Net Price

$28,212 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $8,669 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at OSU

#3

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

#5 in overall quality

$7,703 Average Net Price

$25,967 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend MSU Texas. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Texas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $7,703 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Full MSU Texas Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#4

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

#4 in overall quality

$9,251 Average Net Price

$27,590 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Arizona University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NAU is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 78 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $9,251 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northern Arizona University

#5

University of Central Oklahoma

Edmond, Oklahoma

#3 in overall quality

$12,297 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Oklahoma. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

UCO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCO is $12,297 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Central Oklahoma

• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k)

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.

Featured Athletic Training Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >