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2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k)

47 Ranked Colleges
349 Degrees Awarded
$29,300 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 349 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 47 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#2

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 18 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Michigan State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#5

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #5 spot on the list. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at NC State are $28,999, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

#7

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141.

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

#10

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNI has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNI are $22,648, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#11

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas

With a ranking of #11, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Denton, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Woman’s University are $14,962, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Woman’s University

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 6 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State are $25,948.

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

#13

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#15 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UofSC are $30,160, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#14

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #14, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Georgia are $27,476, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#15

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Clemson University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Clemson is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Clemson has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Clemson are $23,246, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#16

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Greensboro are $21,918, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

#10 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Austin has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Austin

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville are $31,798, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UT Knoxville Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus are $23,963.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

#20

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#19 in overall quality

University of Utah came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Utah is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 7 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

U of U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Utah are $24,695.

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

#21

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Middle Tennessee State University are $26,172, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#22

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UH is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 8 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UH are $18,689.

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

#23

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#23 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 8 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M University - College Station are $22,743.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M University - College Station

#24

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#9 in overall quality

University of Connecticut landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCONN is a large school located in Storrs, Connecticut that handed out 7 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UCONN also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Connecticut are $41,576, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#25

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at West Virginia University are $26,154, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Virginia University

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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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