2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
90
Ranked Colleges
10,384
Degrees Awarded
$10,100
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 10,384 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,191 and $25,844 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 90 colleges that offered 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 326 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $917 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 643 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,061 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full IU Bloomington Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 148 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,788 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 95%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 317 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,036 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 UIUC
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 131 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Purdue also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Purdue
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 248 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,581 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 215 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $8,216 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 252 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $10,075 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full UW - La Crosse Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 152 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $10,786 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ball State
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 292 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $12,346 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Central Michigan University
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,351 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 UIC
Grand Valley State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 290 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,026 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Full GVSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Miami University - Oxford landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 348 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,062 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Miami University - Oxford
University of Southern Indiana came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a medium-sized school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 81 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $10,440 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at USI
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 442 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $15,170 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 91%.
Full Michigan State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 429 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Chicago also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $14,346 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Chicago
Eastern Illinois University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 107 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $10,056 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Illinois University
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 53 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,658 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Eau Claire
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 130 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,825 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SIUE
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,478 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
Valparaiso University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Valpo is located in Valparaiso, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Valpo also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Valpo is $19,717 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Valparaiso University
Indiana State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Terre Haute, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 145 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State University is $10,911 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana State
With a ranking of #24, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 94 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $11,414 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Wayne State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Youngstown State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 74 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $9,972 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Youngstown State University
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