2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 9,155 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 294 colleges that offer 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.
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.
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More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
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 Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwestern University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 74 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Columbia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Columbia
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 67 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UF has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full University of Florida Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 294 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 47 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’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 Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at U-M
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNC Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #6, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Georgetown also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown are $53,591, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Georgetown University
With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison also took the #25 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’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.
Full UW - Madison Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Queens College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at QC are $21,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full QC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #10, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 7 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Wake Forest University also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wake Forest University are $39,216.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wake Forest University
Brooklyn College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 25 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Brooklyn College
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at USF Tampa are $21,126.
With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338.
Full IU Bloomington Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 14 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Rio Grande Valley
North Carolina State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 37 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at North Carolina State University are $28,999, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina State University
Florida International University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at FIU are $24,211, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full FIU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #17, Northeastern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern are $25,558, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northeastern University
With a ranking of #18, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 33 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UMN Twin Cities
University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Florida are $28,657, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full University of Central Florida Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 22 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Virginia excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia - Main Campus are $32,394.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Virginia
The University of West Florida landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 17 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UWF are $24,894, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of West Florida
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 9 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 120 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784.
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 42 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Florida State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 61 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State University are $26,707.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida State University
Rest of the Best 45 in Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k
Not only did these schools make the top 45 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
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