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2022 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region

68 Ranked Colleges
9,967 Degrees Awarded
$15,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

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 Southwest region, there were 9,967 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,090 and $22,308 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 68 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k”.

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. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region

#1

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Texas College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k. McAllen, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for South Texas College is $4,790 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Texas College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 319 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley also took the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,400 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

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

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Alva, Oklahoma, and it awarded 33 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

NWOSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,711 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend NWOSU.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M International University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Laredo, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,807 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

Full Texas A&M International University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #5 spot on the list. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 263 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $20,454 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 97%.

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

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UT Permian Basin is a public institution located in Odessa, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,923 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Permian Basin

#7

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $24,321 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This medium-sized school is located in Durant, Oklahoma, and it awarded 78 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,771 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Full Southeastern Oklahoma State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UTSA is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 390 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,275 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UTSA.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#10

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas

Texas Woman’s University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 168 students in 2019-2020.

TWU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,134 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Texas Woman’s University.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Woman’s University

The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 177 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,123 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UTEP.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso

#12

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 352 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $21,613 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

#13

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Ada, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ECU is $15,029 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#14

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. MSU Texas is a medium-sized public school situated in Wichita Falls, Texas. It awarded 57 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $15,146 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at MSU Texas

Southwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SWOSU is a small public school situated in Weatherford, Oklahoma. It awarded 67 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,434 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SWOSU.

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

#16

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 388 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $21,305 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Tech

With a ranking of #17, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stephen F Austin State University is a fairly large school located in Nacogdoches, Texas that handed out 166 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SFASU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend SFASU is $18,653 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#18

Cameron University

Lawton, Oklahoma

Cameron University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. Cameron University is a small public school situated in Lawton, Oklahoma. It awarded 45 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cameron University is $13,619 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#19

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Texas State is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 590 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $19,683 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#20

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. NSU is a medium-sized school located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma that handed out 82 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NSU is $15,029 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#21

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 458 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UH also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $18,844 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. The University of Texas at Tyler is a public institution located in Tyler, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 103 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,995 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend The University of Texas at Tyler.

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

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 261 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $16,473 for Southwest Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend The University of Texas at Arlington.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Arlington

#24

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lamar University is $18,759 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $12,909 for southwest region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at NMSU Main Campus

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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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