2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 Plains States region, there were 521 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,750 and $23,096 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 506 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 15 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $17,467 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,942 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UMN Twin Cities
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwest Missouri State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwest, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $14,385 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest
Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 126 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,595 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Mizzou
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Winona State University is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 38 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $18,682 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low 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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Winona State
University of Iowa landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.
Iowa also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $20,738 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Iowa
University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a medium-sized public school situated in Kearney, Nebraska. It awarded 57 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UNK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Kearney is $18,669 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Nebraska at Kearney Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Emporia State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Emporia State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Emporia, Kansas. It awarded 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
ESU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $16,515 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at ESU
Pittsburg State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,826 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Pittsburg State University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Pitt State
University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
UNOMAHA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $17,400 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. Southeast Missouri State University is a fairly large school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri that handed out 13 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Southeast Missouri State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,985 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southeast Missouri State University
Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 30 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $18,298 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full Missouri State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a fairly large school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 10 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Duluth also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $19,042 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive 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 UMN Duluth
Lindenwood University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Charles, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Lindenwood University also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $19,268 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Full Lindenwood University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Baker University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Baldwin City, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Baker has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Baker is $25,852 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Baker
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
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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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