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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Missouri (With Aid)

20 Ranked Colleges
1,181 Degrees Awarded
$17,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Missouri For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 a Bachelor’s in Missouri 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.

Across Missouri, there were 1,408 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,719 and $26,675 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,181 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,837 and $25,380 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 20 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Missouri For Those Getting Aid” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

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

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Missouri (With Aid)

#1

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Truman State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid. Truman State is a public institution located in Kirksville, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Truman State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. It costs about $12,462 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Truman State.

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 low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

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

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #2 spot on the list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Mizzou has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri Southern State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Joplin, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Missouri Southern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern State University is $9,625 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Missouri Southern

#4

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri Western State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Missouri Western is a small school located in Saint Joseph, Missouri that handed out 51 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Missouri Western has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $10,958 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Missouri Western State University.

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

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwest Missouri State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid. Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution located in Maryville, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwest, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwest is $12,354 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#6

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri
#9 in overall quality

Southeast Missouri State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cape Girardeau, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Southeast Missouri State University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#7

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UCM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. It costs about $13,677 for missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend UCM.

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

#8 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $16,725 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Missouri State University - Springfield.

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

#9

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#5 in overall quality

Lindenwood University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 150 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Lindenwood University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $17,491 for missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The 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 Lindenwood University

#10

Fontbonne University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Fontbonne University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Louis, Missouri 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 9 students in 2019-2020.

Fontbonne University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $15,961 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Fontbonne University.

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 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#11

Avila University

Kansas City, Missouri
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Avila University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Avila is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Avila also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Avila is $17,048 for missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#12

Southwest Baptist University

Bolivar, Missouri
#13 in overall quality

Southwest Baptist University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southwest Baptist University is a small school located in Bolivar, Missouri that handed out 36 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Southwest Baptist University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $17,682 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Southwest Baptist University.

Full Southwest Baptist University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

Rockhurst University

Kansas City, Missouri
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Rockhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Rockhurst has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rockhurst is $21,116 for missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

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

#14

Missouri Valley College

Marshall, Missouri
#19 in overall quality

Missouri Valley College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Marshall, Missouri 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 32 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Missouri Valley College has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $19,396 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Missouri Valley College.

Full Missouri Valley College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

William Woods University

Fulton, Missouri
#4 in overall quality

William Woods University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Fulton, Missouri 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.

William Woods not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The estimated yearly cost for William Woods University is $24,593 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William Woods

#16

Missouri Baptist University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Missouri Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Missouri Baptist University is a small school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

MBU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for MBU is $20,444 for missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#17

Maryville University of Saint Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Maryville University of Saint Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Maryville University of Saint Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Maryville U has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $29,064 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Maryville U.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Maryville U

#18

Culver - Stockton College

Canton, Missouri
#20 in overall quality

Culver - Stockton College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Culver - Stockton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Canton, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Culver - Stockton also took the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $20,919 for missouri bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Culver - Stockton.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Culver - Stockton College

#19

Westminster College Missouri

Fulton, Missouri
#14 in overall quality

Westminster College Missouri landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Westminster College Missouri is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fulton, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Westminster Fulton also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Westminster College Missouri is $22,160 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Westminster College Missouri

#20

Columbia College

Columbia, Missouri
#17 in overall quality

Columbia College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. This medium-sized school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia College Missouri did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College is $26,730 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

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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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