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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region

18 Ranked Colleges
430 Degrees Awarded
$31,508 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region” 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 Plains States region, there were 444 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,508 and $23,752 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 430 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,046 and $29,021 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies. That schools that top this list have a program in parks, recreation and leisure studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region”.

Top 18 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Plains States Region

1

Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public institution located in Kearney, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 University of Nebraska at Kearney

2
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 32 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Winona State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

3
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UNI

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest Missouri State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Maryville, Missouri. It awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Northwest Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 116 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

6
Pitt State crest
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas

With a ranking of #6, Pittsburg State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Pittsburg, Kansas, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Pittsburg State University

7

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UMN Duluth

8
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Iowa Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

9
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Cape Girardeau, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southeast Missouri State University

10
ESU crest
Emporia State University
Emporia, Kansas

Emporia State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. ESU is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 8 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Emporia State University

11
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Lindenwood University

12
Baker crest
Baker University
Baldwin City, Kansas

Baker University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Baker is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baldwin City, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Baker University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

13

Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Missouri State University - Springfield

14

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

15

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UMN Twin Cities

16
Tabor crest
Tabor College
Hillsboro, Kansas

Tabor College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Tabor is located in Hillsboro, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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

16
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

University of South Dakota came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. USD is a medium-sized school located in Vermillion, South Dakota that handed out 0 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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 USD Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

16
BHSU crest
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, South Dakota

With a ranking of #16, Black Hills State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Spearfish, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Black Hills State University

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