2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies isn't the most popular master's program in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #16 in popularity out of 37 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 662 master's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for Your Master's Degree
Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A Great Overall School
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Early-Career Earnings
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their master's degree.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Plains States Region
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.
10 Top Plains States Region Schools for a Master's in Parks & Rec
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
38
Annual Graduates
It is hard to beat University of Iowa if you want to pursue a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Iowa
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
28
Annual Graduates
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a great choice for students pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9
Annual Graduates
South Dakota State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from South Dakota State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
39
Annual Graduates
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies has to take a look at Minnesota State University - Mankato. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Mankato.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Minnesota State University - Mankato
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
15
Annual Graduates
UNI is a medium-sized public university located in the small city of Cedar Falls.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Northern Iowa
UND is a fairly large public university located in the city of Grand Forks.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of North Dakota
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4
Annual Graduates
Iowa State is a very large public university located in the small city of Ames.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Iowa State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
79
Annual Graduates
Located in the city of Saint Paul, Concordia University, Saint Paul is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Concordia University, Saint Paul
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4
Annual Graduates
Located in the city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Grand View University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
23
Annual Graduates
Located in the small city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Lindenwood University