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2024 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

11 Colleges in the Plains States Region
430 Bachelor's Degrees
$31,508 Avg Early-Career Salary
a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #123 out of 363 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual reviewed 11 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of parks, recreation & leisure studies. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 430 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation & leisure studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region The parks & rec bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality parks & rec program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for parks, recreation & leisure studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Plains States Region

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Parks & Rec

1
51 Annual Graduates
$32,498 Median Starting Salary
$23,907 Median Student Debt

University of Northern Iowa is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the parks & rec program report average early career earnings of $32,498.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Northern Iowa

2
116 Annual Graduates
$34,388 Median Starting Salary
$21,500 Median Student Debt

University of Missouri - Columbia is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Mizzou is a very large public university located in the city of Columbia.

Bachelor's recipients from the parks, recreation & leisure studies major at University of Missouri - Columbia get $2,880 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Missouri - Columbia

2
11 Annual Graduates
$29,238 Median Starting Salary
$25,369 Median Student Debt

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a great choice for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career earnings of $29,238.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
53 Annual Graduates
$31,686 Median Starting Salary
$25,691 Median Student Debt

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies needs to check out University of Iowa. Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Iowa City.

After graduation, parks & rec bachelor's recipients typically earn an average of $31,686 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Iowa

4
60 Annual Graduates
$31,081 Median Starting Salary
$23,500 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat University of Nebraska at Kearney if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. UNK is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Kearney.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $31,081 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Nebraska at Kearney

5
15 Annual Graduates
$35,322 Median Starting Salary
$19,661 Median Student Debt

Located in the distant town of Pittsburg, Pitt State is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies bachelor's degree recipients from Pittsburg State University get an earnings boost of about $3,814 above the average earnings of parks, recreation & leisure studies majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Pittsburg State University

6
32 Annual Graduates
$33,238 Median Starting Salary
$21,148 Median Student Debt

Winona State is a medium-sized public university located in the distant town of Winona.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $33,238 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Winona State University

7
28 Annual Graduates
$25,250 Median Student Debt

Located in the remote town of Maryville, Northwest is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Northwest Missouri State University

8

Located in the small city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.

After graduating, parks & rec bachelor's recipients typically earn an average of $33,215 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Southeast Missouri State University

9

UMN Duluth is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Duluth.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career earnings of $24,771.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Minnesota - Duluth

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Missouri 228 174
Minnesota 215 64
Iowa 197 104
Kansas 184 25
Nebraska 180 63
South Dakota 148 0

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies area of study, Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Parks & Rec Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 430

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 4,303
Recreation Administration 137
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 7
Outdoor Education 6

Notes and References

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