2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
8
Ranked Colleges
475
Degrees Awarded
$11,600
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 3,106 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 166th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,801 and had an average of $23,333 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 475 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,140 and $23,596 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 8 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation and leisure studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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.
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 8 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UIUC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 160 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $5,752 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at IU Bloomington
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Michigan University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Michigan University is located in Marquette, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northern Michigan University, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,958 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Michigan University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northern Michigan University
Out of the 8 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $11,665 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $17,614 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 45 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
BGSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $14,079 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full BGSU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Toledo ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Toledo, Ohio, and it awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,803 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Toledo.
Full University of Toledo Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #8, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,451 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene
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Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
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Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
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Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
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Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
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
- *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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