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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

16 Ranked Colleges
1,572 Degrees Awarded
$17,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 16 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 247 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $10,054 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

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 in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 139 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $10,757 for iowa 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 697 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $12,975 for Iowa Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

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

#4

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Buena Vista University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Storm Lake, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

BVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $14,210 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BVU.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

#5

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Coe College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Coe is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Coe also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $14,590 for Iowa Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Coe.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Coe

#6

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa

Simpson College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Indianola, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Simpson College has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $15,357 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Simpson College.

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 Simpson College

#7

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Cornell College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell College is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Cornell College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $20,458 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell College.

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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cornell College

#8

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa

With a ranking of #8, Loras College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 33 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Loras has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loras is $16,154 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Loras

#9

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

Northwestern College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Northwestern College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Orange City, Iowa. It awarded 21 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

NWC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $20,581 for Iowa Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NWC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwestern College

Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lamoni, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Graceland University - Lamoni is $15,015 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Graceland University - Lamoni Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waverly, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wartburg has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $16,334 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wartburg College.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Wartburg Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 79 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Grand View University also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand View University is $18,481 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grand View University

#13

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sioux Center, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dordt, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt is $24,967 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

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

#14

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

With a ranking of #14, Saint Ambrose University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Ambrose University is located in Davenport, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

St. Ambrose University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $23,977 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full St. Ambrose University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

With a ranking of #15, University of Dubuque did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. UD is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend UD is $19,369 for Iowa Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Dubuque Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#16

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

With a ranking of #16, Upper Iowa University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fayette, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 28 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIU is $21,427 for iowa parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

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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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