2022 Best Value 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that 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 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 69 colleges that offer a degree 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 102 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Rice has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $3,437 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #2 spot on the list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 319 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Rio Grande Valley, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the #3 spot on the list. South Texas College is a public institution located in McAllen, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $904 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Texas College.
Full South Texas College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 352 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $8,521 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full UNT Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Alva, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NWOSU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,491 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Full NWOSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 683 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $11,454 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Texas A&M College Station Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Texas Tech University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech University is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 388 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $12,317 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Tech University
Texas A&M International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Laredo, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 62 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $2,261 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M International University
With a ranking of #9, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. TWU is a fairly large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 168 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
TWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Woman’s University is $6,706 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Woman’s University
The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 390 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UTSA also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $10,516 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full UTSA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 263 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $12,203 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Austin
Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is located in Durant, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $6,102 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Full Southeastern Oklahoma State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Houston - Clear Lake landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UH Clear Lake is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UH Clear Lake did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH Clear Lake is $4,517 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Houston - Clear Lake Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Tyler, Texas, and it awarded 103 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,797 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Tyler.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at Tyler
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school situated in Odessa, Texas. It awarded 48 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Permian Basin also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,889 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Permian Basin.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Permian Basin
With a ranking of #16, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 458 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
UH also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $10,203 for Southwest Region 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Houston
Stephen F Austin State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Nacogdoches, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 166 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
SFASU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stephen F Austin State University is $8,650 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SFASU
Texas State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas State is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 590 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Texas State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,125 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas State.
Full Texas State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #19, East Central University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. ECU is located in Ada, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend ECU is $7,787 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at ECU
MSU Texas landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools 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 ’s parks and rec degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,703 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU Texas.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at MSU Texas
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 120 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
OSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $8,669 for Southwest Region 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
The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 177 ’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 parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso
Cameron University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cameron University is a small school located in Lawton, Oklahoma that handed out 45 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cameron University is $6,652 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cameron University
Southwestern Oklahoma State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SWOSU is a small public school situated in Weatherford, Oklahoma. It awarded 67 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SWOSU is $9,746 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #25, Lamar University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools 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 52 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,200 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lamar University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lamar University
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
All Degree Levels
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Bachelors
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Doctorate
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students in the Southwest Region
Most Focused Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students in the Southwest Region
Most Popular Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Southwest Region
Highest Paid Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Graduates in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students in the Southwest Region
Most Popular Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students getting aid in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Southwest Region
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.
Featured Athletic Training Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
