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2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

67 Ranked Colleges
5,811 Degrees Awarded
$17,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States 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. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States 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 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 5,811 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,332 and $25,331 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 67 colleges that offered 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

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

1

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 251 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Iowa State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $17,806 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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

2
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 675 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $20,719 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 124 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,938 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UMN Twin Cities

4
DSU crest
Dickinson State University
Dickinson, North Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dickinson State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. DSU is a public institution located in Dickinson, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for DSU is $14,590 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $18,318 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNI

6

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 52 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $14,894 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

7
MSU crest
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota

Minot State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. Minot, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,989 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Minot State University.

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

8

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 175 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $18,728 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato

9
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $17,859 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 UND

10
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Central Missouri is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 108 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCM also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for UCM is $16,436 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

11

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Fargo, North Dakota that handed out 87 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $17,909 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

12
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Winona State is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $18,902 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

13

University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Crookston, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Crookston is $14,750 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

14
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $20,393 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

15

With a ranking of #15, Concordia University, Saint Paul did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 198 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Saint Paul also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Saint Paul is $17,205 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Saint Paul

16
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Truman State University is a small school located in Kirksville, Missouri that handed out 92 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Truman State is $14,302 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

17

Missouri Southern State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Joplin, Missouri, and it awarded 40 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,414 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Missouri Southern State University.

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

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 91 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, UNOMAHA has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $17,624 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

19
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

With a ranking of #19, Lindenwood University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized school located in Saint Charles, Missouri that handed out 128 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Lindenwood University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $19,120 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

20
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

With a ranking of #20, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,440 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Cloud State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

21

Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 17 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Graceland University - Lamoni is $19,850 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Graceland Lamoni Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

22
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

With a ranking of #22, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Southeast Missouri State University is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Southeast Missouri State University is $16,624 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 120 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Mizzou has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,956 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

24
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 214 students in 2020-2021.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $22,804 for plains states region parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

25

Central Christian College of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Central Christian College of Kansas is a small school located in McPherson, Kansas that handed out 12 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,911 for Plains States Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Central Christian College.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Central Christian College of Kansas

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