Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

68 Ranked Colleges
7,822 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,822 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 68 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. 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 Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $7,534 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

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

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 305 students in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Rio Grande Valley

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 308 students in 2019-2020.

UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $9,082 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. NWOSU is a small school located in Alva, Oklahoma that handed out 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

NWOSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NWOSU is $7,767 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M International University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 62 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $2,298 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M International University

#15 in overall quality

The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 355 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $11,109 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#5 in overall quality

Texas Tech University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 349 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $13,326 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Tech University

#4 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 453 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,270 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Texas A&M University - College Station

#20 in overall quality

Texas Woman’s University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas Woman’s University is a fairly large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 126 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

TWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Woman’s University is $7,050 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Austin has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $13,575 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

#17 in overall quality

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,221 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Permian Basin

#12

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#9 in overall quality

University of Houston came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UH is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 439 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $9,925 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

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

#23 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Tyler, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 91 students in 2019-2020.

UT Tyler not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Tyler is $7,058 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Tyler

With a ranking of #14, Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Durant, Oklahoma. It awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,704 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#15

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Marcos, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 551 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $12,292 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#16

Cameron University

Lawton, Oklahoma

Cameron University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cameron University is a small school located in Lawton, Oklahoma that handed out 45 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cameron University is $6,296 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#17

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ECU is a small school located in Ada, Oklahoma that handed out 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend East Central University is $8,259 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

With a ranking of #18, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,962 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Nacogdoches, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

SFASU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Stephen F Austin State University is $10,816 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#20

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #20, Northeastern State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern State University is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,543 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern State University.

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

#8 in overall quality

University of Houston - Clear Lake landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH Clear Lake is $7,941 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UH Clear Lake Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#22

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Wichita Falls, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $8,554 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school awarded 169 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,427 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UTEP.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso

Southwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a small public school situated in Weatherford, Oklahoma. It awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,904 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

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

#25

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Beaumont, Texas, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,631 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lamar University.

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