2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid
519
Ranked Colleges
73,813
Degrees Awarded
$10,300
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 519 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
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 Those Getting Aid”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. American Military University is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 683 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
American Military University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for American Military University is $10,563 for parks & rec students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full American Public University System Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 519 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 306 students in 2020-2021.
UF also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $5,135 for parks & rec students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UF Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 519 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 401 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for parks & rec students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNC Chapel Hill
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 339 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,302 for parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.
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%.
Full Cal State LA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 326 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for parks & rec students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full U-M Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. IU 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
With a ranking of #7, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 83 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $3,067 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Brooklyn College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Fresno landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 323 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $6,230 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, 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 87%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fresno State
With a ranking of #9, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 394 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,743 for Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Full UT Rio Grande Valley Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Mt. San Antonio College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Walnut, California, and it awarded 521 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $3,144 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mt. SAC
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 313 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,350 for parks & rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 97%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at Austin
Florida International University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 274 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FIU is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,298 for parks & rec students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at FIU
The University of West Florida came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of West Florida is a fairly large school located in Pensacola, Florida that handed out 147 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for The University of West Florida is $7,089 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UWF
California State University - Fullerton ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 581 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for parks & rec students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State Fullerton
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 317 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UIUC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 163 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,026 for Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Utah did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 382 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, U of U is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Utah is $13,572 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Utah Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Long Beach ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 491 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for parks & rec students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 CSULB
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 267 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
BYU excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $13,474 for parks & rec students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at BYU
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 148 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for parks & rec students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Madison
Rice University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 104 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Rice also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,076 for Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Rice University.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rice
With a ranking of #22, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 404 students in 2020-2021.
Sac State excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $11,178 for parks & rec students with aid.
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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Sacramento
University of Iowa ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,401 for parks & rec students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Iowa
With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 252 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UW - La Crosse excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,654 for parks & rec students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - La Crosse
California State University - Northridge came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 495 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The undergrad 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 California State University - Northridge Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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