Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Wisconsin

16 Ranked Colleges
1,044 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Wisconsin, there were 1,044 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 in Wisconsin 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 260 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for Wisconsin Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - La Crosse Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#3

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 17 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $8,366 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 117 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $11,528 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Eau Claire

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 53 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Parkside also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $6,652 for Wisconsin Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Parkside Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#6

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UWM also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” ranking. It costs about $13,222 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

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

#8

Viterbo University

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Viterbo University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Viterbo is a small private not-for-profit school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Viterbo has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” ranking. It costs about $13,538 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Viterbo.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Viterbo Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#9

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lutheran College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WLC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WLC, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wisconsin Lutheran College is $14,327 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#10

Carroll University

Waukesha, Wisconsin

Carroll University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Carroll University is a small school located in Waukesha, Wisconsin that handed out 86 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Carroll U also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” ranking. It costs about $19,900 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carroll University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Carroll U Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Ripon College

Ripon, Wisconsin

Ripon College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ripon College is located in Ripon, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Ripon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list. The yearly cost to attend Ripon is $13,893 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

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

#12

Marian University

Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin

Marian University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Marian did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list. The yearly cost to attend Marian is $16,114 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#13

Concordia University, Wisconsin

Mequon, Wisconsin

Concordia University, Wisconsin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Mequon, Wisconsin, and it awarded 15 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Wisconsin also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” ranking. It costs about $20,297 for Wisconsin Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Concordia University, Wisconsin.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Wisconsin

#14

Carthage College

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Carthage College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carthage is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 36 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Carthage not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carthage is $24,480 for wisconsin parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Carthage Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Cardinal Stritch University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cardinal Stritch is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cardinal Stritch also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Cardinal Stritch University is $15,934 for Wisconsin Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cardinal Stritch University

#16

Lakeland University

Plymouth, Wisconsin

Lakeland University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Wisconsin For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lakeland University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Plymouth, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lakeland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Wisconsin” list. It costs about $18,310 for Wisconsin Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lakeland University.

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

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Athletic Training Schools

Find Schools Near You