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

48 Ranked Colleges
1,596 Degrees Awarded
$24,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 48 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 $75-$110k”.

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. 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 $75-$110k

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

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#3 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 $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 38 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 $75-$110k list, Northwestern has also earned the #3 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 Northwestern are $56,567.

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

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

U-M also took the #1 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at U-M

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 41 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 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 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse are $20,038.

Full UW - La Crosse Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#4

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. 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 $75-$110k. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 17 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - River Falls are $18,233, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan Technological University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Michigan Technological University is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 5 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #19 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 Michigan Technological University are $21,996, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 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 UW - Parkside are $18,768.

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

#2 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 44 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 $75-$110k list, UIUC has also earned the #2 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 53 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. 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

#9

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 257 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students 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 some majors have different tuition rates.

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

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUE are $9,300, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#5 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 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 $75-$110k 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. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at IUPUI are $26,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#13

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, 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 $75-$110k list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 25 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 Northern Illinois University are $11,086.

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

#14

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Illinois University are $20,761, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#15

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 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 are $19,359.

Full Central Michigan Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#16

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at USI are $20,039, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#7 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison

#18

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State University are $37,215, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#25 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 24 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 $75-$110k list, SIUC has also earned the #25 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 SIUC are $32,928, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#21

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Western Illinois University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 74 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #17 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 WIU are $11,996.

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

#22

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 28 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State also took 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ball State

#23

Ohio Dominican University

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. ODU is a small school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 9 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at ODU are $11,556, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#24

Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Cardinal Stritch University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Cardinal Stritch University is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Cardinal Stritch University are $11,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Cardinal Stritch Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#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 $75-$110k list. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 9 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee 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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