2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (With Aid)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the associate degree level specifically, there were 5,688 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,082 and $17,678 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and 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. 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 for an Associate For Those Getting Aid” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Cincinnati State is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 associates’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Cincinnati State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is $5,469 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Texas College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. South Texas College is a large public school situated in McAllen, Texas. It awarded 67 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Texas College, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Texas College is $1,174 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Texas College
Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Mt. San Antonio College landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Walnut, California, and it awarded 474 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Mt. SAC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $1,729 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mt. SAC
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gogebic Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Ironwood, Michigan, and it awarded 5 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Gogebic Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,942 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Gogebic Community College.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Gogebic Community College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Riverside City College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid. Riverside City College is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 178 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Riverside City College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,620 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Riverside City College.
Full Riverside City College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Onondaga Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Onondaga Community College is a medium-sized school located in Syracuse, New York that handed out 13 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OCC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Onondaga Community College is $7,390 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Full OCC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Union County College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Union County College is a medium-sized school located in Cranford, New Jersey that handed out 21 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Union County College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Union County College is $8,245 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Union County College
Cuyahoga Community College District landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our associate degree parks & rec students with aid list, Cuyahoga Community College District has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cuyahoga Community College District is $5,415 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cuyahoga Community College District
Northampton County Area Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northampton County Area Community College is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 associates’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Northampton Community College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Northampton County Area Community College is $9,053 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.
Full Northampton County Area Community College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #10, Sinclair Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Sinclair Community College is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Sinclair Community College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $4,208 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Sinclair Community College.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sinclair Community College
County College of Morris landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Randolph, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our associate degree parks & rec students with aid list, County College of Morris has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend County College of Morris is $9,173 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at County College of Morris
Utah Valley University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Utah Valley University is a public institution located in Orem, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UVU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UVU is $9,159 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Utah Valley University
Norco College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Norco College is a public institution located in Norco, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Norco College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $5,099 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Norco College.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Norco College
With a ranking of #14, Cabrillo College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Aptos, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 120 students in 2019-2020.
Cabrillo College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cabrillo College is $8,487 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.
Full Cabrillo College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Hudson Valley Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Troy, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our associate degree parks & rec students with aid list, HVCC has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,548 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend HVCC.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Hudson Valley Community College
Wake Technical Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Wake Technical Community College is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 4 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our associate degree parks & rec students with aid list, Wake Technical Community College has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Technical Community College is $6,876 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Full Wake Technical Community College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Luzerne County Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Luzerne County Community College is a small public school situated in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Luzerne County Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Luzerne County Community College is $7,985 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.
Portland Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Portland Community College is a large public school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 9 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Portland Community College, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Portland Community College is $8,914 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Portland Community College
Lake Superior State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
Lake Superior State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lake Superior State University
With a ranking of #20, Bob Jones University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Bob Jones University is a small school located in Greenville, South Carolina that handed out 5 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Bob Jones University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,923 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Bob Jones University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Bob Jones University
International Sports Sciences Association did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Carpinteria, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.
ISSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Lane Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid list. Lane Community College is a medium-sized school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 1 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Lane Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Lane Community College is $8,553 for Associate Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.
Full Lane Community College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of Findlay came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Findlay, Ohio, and it awarded 6 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our associate degree parks & rec students with aid list, Findlay has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Findlay is $24,884 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Findlay
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It awarded 96 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our associate degree parks & rec students with aid list, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $33,428 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale.
Full Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Webber International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for an Associate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Webber International University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Babson Park, Florida. It awarded 2 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our associate degree parks & rec students with aid list, Webber International University has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $24,479 for associate degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Webber International University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Webber International University
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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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