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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

47 Ranked Colleges
349 Degrees Awarded
$29,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate 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 Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 349 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 47 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #1 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 1 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 2 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 12 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

#5

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

NC State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at North Carolina State University are $28,999, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full NC State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 11 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141.

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

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 12 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Texas Woman’s University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas Woman’s University is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at TWU are $14,962, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#9

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Northern Iowa are $22,648, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#20 in overall quality

Iowa State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 6 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State are $25,948, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#11

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#17 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMCP are $30,885, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Maryland - College Park

#12

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Michigan State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus are $23,963, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#10 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886.

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

#15

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #15, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 8 doctorate’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 University of Houston are $18,689.

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

#16

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

With a ranking of #16, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Greensboro are $21,918, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UNC Greensboro Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#17

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Georgia are $27,476, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#18

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at WVU are $26,154, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full West Virginia University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#19 in overall quality

University of Utah landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

U of U also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Utah are $24,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#20

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina
#3 in overall quality

Clemson University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Clemson is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Clemson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Clemson are $23,246.

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

#21

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Middle Tennessee State University are $26,172.

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

#22 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Colorado State is a large school located in Fort Collins, Colorado that handed out 3 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Colorado State University - Fort Collins are $28,055.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Colorado State University - Fort Collins

#23

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Connecticut did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Storrs, Connecticut, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UCONN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCONN are $41,576.

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

#24

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#23 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 8 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M University - College Station are $22,743.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M University - College Station

#25

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#15 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UofSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Carolina - Columbia are $30,160.

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

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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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