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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

112 Ranked Colleges
8,021 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,021 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 112 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 270 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $18,039 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 219 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UW - La Crosse also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,573 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 86%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan Technological University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,908 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Michigan Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. UW - Parkside is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Parkside is $14,993 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 112 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 528 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $18,951 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

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

#6

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,425 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Stevens Point

#12 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 117 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $18,196 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 88 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,565 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

#9

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Central Michigan University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 328 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $17,894 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Central Michigan

#3 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 278 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $21,998 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 124 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,952 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend IUPUI.

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

#12

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend NIU is $21,425 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#13

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $16,241 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#6 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 171 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $21,364 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#17 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 160 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $20,270 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 Illinois at Chicago

#16

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

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

#17

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#21 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 272 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $20,113 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#18

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Monmouth College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Monmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth is $18,081 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#7 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 98 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $21,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Madison

#20

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Southern Indiana is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 88 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $17,743 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

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

#21

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

With a ranking of #21, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 53 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $15,719 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

With a ranking of #22, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 89 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $18,928 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#23

Viterbo University

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Viterbo University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Viterbo is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,508 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Viterbo.

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%.

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

#24

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $15,424 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,698 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SIUC.

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

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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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