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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

48 Ranked Colleges
1,596 Degrees Awarded
$24,300 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 10,194 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,368 and $24,957 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,596 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 48 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.

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

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#2 in overall quality

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 #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Madison

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#4 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 #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

#19 in overall quality

Michigan Technological University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Tech are $21,996.

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

#12 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 41 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse are $20,038, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#5 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 42 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#9

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - River Falls are $18,233.

Full UW - River Falls Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Parkside are $18,768, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW - Parkside Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

With a ranking of #11, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUE are $9,300, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

With a ranking of #12, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036.

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

#14

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 38 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Illinois University are $20,761, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#15

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 257 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Chicago are $9,378, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#16

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 40 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State University are $37,215, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#17

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 25 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#25 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at USI are $20,039.

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

#20

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#16 in overall quality

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#21

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Illinois State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State University are $11,069, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#22

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 17 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan University are $19,359.

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

#23

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 74 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at WIU are $11,996, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#23 in overall quality

Grace College and Theological Seminary came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Grace College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Winona Lake, Indiana. It awarded 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Grace College also took the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Grace College are $7,872, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grace College and Theological Seminary

#25

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UWM are $25,295.

Full UWM 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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