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2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

90 Ranked Colleges
10,384 Degrees Awarded
$21,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 10,384 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,191 and $25,844 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 90 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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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 Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 90 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 326 students in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #2 for the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 643 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

3

Out of the 90 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 252 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,654 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

4
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central Michigan University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 292 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

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

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 148 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 429 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,051 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad 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 Concordia University, Chicago

7

With a ranking of #7, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 248 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

8
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 131 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Purdue.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

9
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, Ball State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Ball State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

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

10

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 317 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

11

Miami University - Oxford landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 348 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Miami University - Oxford

12

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 290 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grand Valley State University

13

With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 215 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

14
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 114 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

15

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,844 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls

16

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #16 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 53 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,051 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full UW - Eau Claire Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

17

University of Southern Indiana came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 81 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,481 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 USI

18

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school awarded 317 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,831 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at OHIO Athens

19

Western Illinois University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 118 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $15,305 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Western Illinois University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

20

Youngstown State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 74 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

21
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 25 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Valpo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Valpo is $22,899 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

22

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 87 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,486 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

23
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in University Center, Michigan, and it awarded 43 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,279 for great lakes region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

24
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,962 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

25

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. BGSU is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 202 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

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