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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

88 Ranked Colleges
5,005 Degrees Awarded
$29,784 Avg Salary
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 the Plains States region, there were 5,808 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,644 and $24,923 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,005 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 88 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also cost less that 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. 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 Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Truman State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, this small public school handed out 104 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Truman State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Truman State is $12,031 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Minnesota - Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $7,558 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Morris

#3

Chadron State College

Chadron, Nebraska
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chadron State College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chadron, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Chadron State College also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chadron State College is $15,132 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Chadron State College

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 88 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $12,556 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UMN Twin Cities

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 126 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $13,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

University of Minnesota - Crookston came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Crookston, Minnesota, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Crookston is $8,680 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Crookston

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 238 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State 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 Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,161 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#23 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth 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 Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $12,438 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#9

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#11 in overall quality

Winona State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Winona State University is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $15,140 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Winona State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#14 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $14,451 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, North Dakota

Dickinson State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Dickinson, North Dakota, this small public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,119 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend DSU.

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

#7 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 79 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,686 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Dakota State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full North Dakota State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $15,729 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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

With a ranking of #14, Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Marshall, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $13,988 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southwest Minnesota State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

With a ranking of #15, Northwest Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $11,988 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#16

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#18 in overall quality

St Olaf College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. St Olaf College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 32 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,577 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Olaf.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 St. Olaf Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,833 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

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

#18

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#17 in overall quality

University of North Dakota landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 38 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UND also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $15,109 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UND.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Dakota

#19

University of Mary

Bismarck, North Dakota
#10 in overall quality

University of Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. UMary is a small school located in Bismarck, North Dakota that handed out 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMary 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 Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMary is $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#20

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

University of Iowa landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 652 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $18,272 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

With a ranking of #21, Missouri Southern State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern State University is $10,124 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Missouri Southern State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#22

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Simpson College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indianola, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Simpson College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Simpson College is $14,790 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Simpson College

#23

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $13,373 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St. Cloud State University

#19 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public institution located in Kearney, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNK also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Kearney is $15,343 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#25

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa

Buena Vista University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Storm Lake, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Buena Vista University is $15,292 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Buena Vista University 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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