2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 152nd most popular major in the country with 3,224 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 517 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,400 and $24,739 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 89 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 5 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$30,083 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$44,728 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

#2 in overall quality

$33,338 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$46,673 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338.

Full IU Bloomington Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#3

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, Illinois

$32,928 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #0 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at SIUC

#4

Ohio University - Athens Campus

Athens, Ohio

#3 in overall quality

$17,712 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 10 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio University - Athens Campus are $17,712, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full OHIO Athens Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#5

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio

#4 in overall quality

$27,067 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$37,208 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Toledo. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Toledo, Ohio, and it awarded 19 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Toledo has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Toledo are $27,067, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $48-$75k)

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.

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