by our College Data Analytics TeamFor 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
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.
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.
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.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
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.
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.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 32 | 231 |
| Minnesota | 31 | 149 |
| Kansas | 30 | 50 |
| Iowa | 29 | 101 |
| Nebraska | 29 | 34 |
| North Dakota | 28 | 36 |
| South Dakota | 25 | 61 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 634 |
| Outdoor Education | 10 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 9 |
| Recreation Administration | 9 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 4,037 |
