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2022 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee

19 Ranked Colleges
2,529 Degrees Awarded
$15,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

Across Tennessee, there were 2,529 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 19 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.

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

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 in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee

#1

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Middle Tennessee State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 219 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Middle Tennessee State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $10,637 for Tennessee Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a public institution located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 191 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Chattanooga has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is $10,515 for Tennessee Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 481 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Knoxville has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $13,745 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Knoxville Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#4

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tennessee Wesleyan University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Athens, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

TWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend TWU is $11,867 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Martin. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Martin, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school handed out 100 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UT Martin also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Martin is $9,855 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Tennessee - Martin

#6

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 435 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofM, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Memphis is $12,264 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#7

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee

Tennessee Technological University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cookeville, Tennessee, this fairly large public school awarded 119 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tennessee Tech University has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tennessee Technological University is $13,421 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Tennessee Tech University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#8

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Johnson City, Tennessee, this fairly large public school awarded 191 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

ETSU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ETSU is $12,703 for Tennessee Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#9

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Tennessee State University is a medium-sized school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 62 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Tennessee State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tennessee State University is $11,711 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#10

Maryville College

Maryville, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

Maryville College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Maryville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Maryville College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Maryville College is $16,041 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Maryville College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Clarksville, Tennessee, this fairly large public school awarded 222 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Austin Peay State University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Austin Peay State University is $12,298 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#12

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, Tennessee

Lincoln Memorial University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lincoln Memorial University is a small school located in Harrogate, Tennessee that handed out 25 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

LMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for LMU is $12,893 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Full Lincoln Memorial University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee

Carson - Newman University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Carson - Newman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Carson - Newman also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Carson - Newman is $14,044 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Carson - Newman Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#14

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee

Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

TNU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend TNU is $15,172 for Tennessee Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Trevecca Nazarene University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee

Lee University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cleveland, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lee University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lee University is $15,543 for Tennessee Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#16

Tusculum University

Greeneville, Tennessee

Tusculum University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tusculum University is a small school located in Greeneville, Tennessee that handed out 43 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tusculum, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tusculum is $18,111 for Tennessee Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#17

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #17, Belmont University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Belmont University is a medium-sized school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 84 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Belmont, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Belmont University is $26,275 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Belmont University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#18

Cumberland University

Lebanon, Tennessee

Cumberland University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cumberland University is located in Lebanon, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, CU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $23,701 for Tennessee Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cumberland University.

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

#19

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee

Union University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Union is a small school located in Jackson, Tennessee that handed out 14 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Union, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $27,004 for tennessee parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Union University.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Union University

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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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