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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid

22 Ranked Colleges
1,966 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Michigan For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

Across Michigan, there were 2,219 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,195 and $25,918 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,966 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,161 and $25,915 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 22 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in Michigan 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 a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Michigan (With Aid)

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 270 students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#2

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 358 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,173 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#3

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 328 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $15,981 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan Technological University landed the #4 spot on the list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $16,463 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

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

#5

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 272 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,646 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#6

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

Saginaw Valley State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking. University Center, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.

Saginaw Valley State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#7

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Lake Superior State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, this small public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Lake Superior State University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#8

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Eastern Michigan University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 123 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Eastern Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#9

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Oakland University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Oakland also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $11,802 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#10

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Wayne State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Wayne State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,965 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Full Wayne State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $19,433 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend WMU.

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

#12

Aquinas College Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Aquinas College Michigan came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking. Grand Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Aquinas College Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Aquinas College Michigan is $18,549 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Aquinas College Michigan

#13

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Northern Michigan University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Marquette, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 57 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Northern Michigan University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $15,453 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Northern Michigan University.

Full Northern Michigan University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#14

Northwood University

Midland, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Northwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid list. Midland, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwood, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwood University is $21,618 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

#15

Davenport University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Davenport University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid list. Grand Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

Davenport University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Davenport University is $16,098 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#16

Olivet College

Olivet, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Olivet College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Olivet, Michigan, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Olivet has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $21,464 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Olivet College.

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

#17

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Cornerstone University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Cornerstone did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornerstone is $20,740 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

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

#18

Hope College

Holland, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Hope College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid list. Hope is a small school located in Holland, Michigan that handed out 29 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Hope also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hope is $26,562 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

Adrian College

Adrian, Michigan
#9 in overall quality

Adrian College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Adrian College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Adrian, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Adrian not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Adrian is $26,101 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#20

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Spring Arbor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid list. Spring Arbor is a small school located in Spring Arbor, Michigan that handed out 15 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Spring Arbor, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $19,183 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Spring Arbor University.

Full Spring Arbor University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#21

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Calvin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Calvin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $26,647 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Calvin University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#22

Concordia University, Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Concordia University, Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Concordia University, Ann Arbor is a small school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Concordia University, Ann Arbor has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $24,557 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Concordia University, Ann Arbor.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Ann Arbor Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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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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