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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

68 Ranked Colleges
7,822 Degrees Awarded
$7,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 72,122 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 9,967 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,090 and $22,308 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,822 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 68 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 102 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Rice has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $3,437 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rice

#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 305 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Rio Grande Valley, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 308 students in 2019-2020.

UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $8,521 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNT.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNT

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Alva, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

NWOSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University is $7,491 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at NWOSU

#5

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 349 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $12,317 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Tech

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 453 students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $11,454 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 355 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio is $10,516 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#20 in overall quality

Texas Woman’s University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas Woman’s University is a fairly large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 126 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

TWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $6,706 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Woman’s University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at TWU

Texas A&M International University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M International University is located in Laredo, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,261 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M International University

#1 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 247 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $12,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree 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 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#8 in overall quality

University of Houston - Clear Lake ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH Clear Lake is $4,517 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UH Clear Lake Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Southeastern Oklahoma State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Durant, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,102 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#23 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tyler, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 91 students in 2019-2020.

UT Tyler did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $6,797 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Tyler.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at Tyler

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Odessa, Texas, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $7,889 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Permian Basin.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

#15

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UH is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 439 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UH also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $10,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Houston

#18 in overall quality

Stephen F Austin State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFASU is located in Nacogdoches, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 146 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFASU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,650 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stephen F Austin State University.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SFASU

#17

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school awarded 551 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Texas State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $11,125 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas State University

#18

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #18, East Central University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. ECU is a small school located in Ada, Oklahoma that handed out 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend East Central University is $7,787 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full East Central University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 101 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $8,669 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at OSU

#20

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. MSU Texas is a medium-sized school located in Wichita Falls, Texas that handed out 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $7,703 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full MSU Texas Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 169 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,092 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso

#22

Cameron University

Lawton, Oklahoma

Cameron University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cameron University is a small school located in Lawton, Oklahoma that handed out 45 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cameron University is $6,652 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Cameron University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#23

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It awarded 69 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,614 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NSU.

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

#24

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lamar University is a public institution located in Beaumont, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $9,200 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#25

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

With a ranking of #25, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Angelo State University is a fairly large public school situated in San Angelo, Texas. It awarded 95 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Angelo State is $9,799 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Angelo State

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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