2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Master’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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 882 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 40 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Woman’s University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Denton, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 31 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, TWU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Woman’s University are $14,962, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Woman’s University
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is located in Durant, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southeastern Oklahoma State University are $11,178, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 73 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M College Station also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M College Station are $22,743, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UNT is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 44 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNT are $15,618, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Texas
MSU Texas came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wichita Falls, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.
MSU Texas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at MSU Texas are $7,935, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at MSU Texas
With a ranking of #7, East Central University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ada, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.
ECU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at East Central University are $11,568, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full East Central University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #8, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 39 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Tech are $17,530, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Tech
With a ranking of #9, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 35 masters’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 The University of Texas at San Antonio are $25,807.
Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 15 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, OSU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. 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.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Permian Basin has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin are $6,900, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Stephen F Austin State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stephen F Austin State University is a public institution located in Nacogdoches, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SFASU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at SFASU are $15,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SFASU
With a ranking of #13, The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at Tyler is a medium-sized school located in Tyler, Texas that handed out 12 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Tyler are $16,308, but some majors have different tuition rates.
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 12 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Houston came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
UH also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Houston are $18,689, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Houston
With a ranking of #16, Lamar University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’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 6 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Lamar University are $15,699.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lamar University
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is located in El Paso, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at El Paso are $16,180.
Full UTEP Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Northeastern State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 13 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern State University are $10,600, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northeastern State University
With a ranking of #19, Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Commerce, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M Commerce also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M Commerce are $14,549.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M Commerce
Texas State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas State University are $17,040, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas State
Angelo State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. San Angelo, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Angelo State University are $14,396, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Angelo State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #22, Sam Houston State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SHSU is a large school located in Huntsville, Texas that handed out 22 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, SHSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SHSU are $15,704, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sam Houston State University
Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M Kingsville is located in Kingsville, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M University - Kingsville are $14,066.
Full Texas A&M Kingsville Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Texas A&M University - San Antonio came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M San Antonio are $14,663, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M San Antonio
The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. UT Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 20 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Arlington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Arlington are $23,376, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Arlington
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
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