2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa 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. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa 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.

Across Iowa, there were 1,572 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,615 and $25,199 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 77 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $52,298 and $45,299 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 5 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa

#1

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

$25,948 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State University are $25,948.

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

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$22,648 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 21 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #2. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Northern Iowa are $22,648.

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

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

#1 in overall quality

$27,613 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Iowa are $27,613, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#4

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$9,170 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand View University landed the #4 spot on the list. Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Grand View University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at Grand View University are $9,170, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Grand View University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#5

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

#4 in overall quality

$19,152 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Upper Iowa University landed the #5 spot on the list. Upper Iowa University is located in Fayette, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Upper Iowa University are $19,152, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k)

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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