2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $48-$75k)
69
Ranked Colleges
3,106
Degrees Awarded
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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 166th most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 69 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $48-$75k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 142 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
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 For Those Making $48-$75k. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,369 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Indiana University - Bloomington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 91 ’s parks and rec 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 CSULB is $11,189 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Long Beach
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $12,676 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at BYU
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 100 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $12,602 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Fresno landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $8,030 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. 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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Fresno State
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,911 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UMN Twin Cities Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Utah ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 76 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $13,842 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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 U of U
Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 29 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $12,127 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest
Northern Arizona University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 59 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
NAU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $14,142 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
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
With a ranking of #11, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 116 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $13,715 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 University of Missouri - Columbia
University of Northern Iowa landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $15,287 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Northern Iowa
California State University - Chico ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 99 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,738 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 California State University - Chico Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Winona State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Winona State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State University is $15,289 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Winona State University
San Jose State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 40 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,338 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Jose State
Lehman College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,084 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lehman.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Lehman
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 119 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 35 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, OSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,127 for 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%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Iowa ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 53 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $18,026 for 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 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Iowa
University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Nebraska at Kearney is located in Kearney, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNK, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNK is $16,311 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full University of Nebraska at Kearney Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Arkansas landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 77 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UARK also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,256 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Arkansas.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Arkansas
Pittsburg State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pitt State is a medium-sized school located in Pittsburg, Kansas that handed out 19 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitt State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Pittsburg State University is $14,800 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Pitt State
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 44 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,499 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Western Washington University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Washington University is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $16,819 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Western Washington University
Southern Oregon University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southern Oregon University is located in Ashland, Oregon and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $11,223 for parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Oregon University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southern Oregon University
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