2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k)
518
Ranked Colleges
73,813
Degrees Awarded
$5,100
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 518 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
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 “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 326 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Out of the 518 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #2 spot on the list. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 104 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Rice also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $4,443 for parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rice
Out of the 518 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 62 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwestern University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 306 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $65 for parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UF
Out of the 518 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 148 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $3,981 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Madison
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 643 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $5,752 for parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at IU Bloomington
With a ranking of #7, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 401 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 71 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,873 for parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Columbia
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 317 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,858 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 150 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Georgetown is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown is $3,077 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Georgetown Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 125 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, William & Mary also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,972 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William & Mary
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 239 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Maryland - College Park
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 124 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 339 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,887 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State LA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 303 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UGA also took the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,303 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Georgia
With a ranking of #16, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 248 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Florida International University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 274 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FIU is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $3,196 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida International University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida International University
Citadel Military College of South Carolina landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this small public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The Citadel excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $7,451 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 131 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $5,995 for parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus
American Public University System came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. American Public University System is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 683 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
American Military University also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend American Military University is $9,660 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Military University
With a ranking of #21, Mt. San Antonio College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mt. SAC is located in Walnut, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 521 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Mt. San Antonio College is $2,412 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mt. San Antonio College
Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Brooklyn College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #23, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 69 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wake Forest University is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,401 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Forest University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wake Forest University
Michigan State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 442 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Michigan State is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,927 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Michigan State University
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 219 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $4,950 for parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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, & Fitness Studies at Florida State University
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