2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking.
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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 54,605 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 644 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school handed out 433 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, American Military University has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $10,222 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Chadron State College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s. This small school is located in Chadron, Nebraska, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Chadron State College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,268 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Chadron State College.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Chadron State College
Out of the 644 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #3 spot on the list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 258 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, BYU is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Alva, Oklahoma, this small public school handed out 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, NWOSU is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $9,791 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Full NWOSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s list. South Dakota State is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 50 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, South Dakota State is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $19,252 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full South Dakota State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
North Dakota State University also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,584 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #7, Dickinson State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Dickinson, North Dakota, this small public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Dickinson State University is $10,855 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Full DSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 219 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,580 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend UW - La Crosse.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - La Crosse
Truman State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Truman State is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 104 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Truman State excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,462 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Truman State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Truman State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 91 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $7,167 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full BYU - I Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Marshall, Minnesota, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is $10,092 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Winona State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. Winona State is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Winona State excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $17,656 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Winona State
University of South Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. USD is a public institution located in Vermillion, South Dakota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend USD is $18,555 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full USD Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. UND is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 38 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UND also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UND is $15,738 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UND
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Eau Claire is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $16,020 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Eau Claire
West Texas A&M University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. West Texas A&M University is located in Canyon, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $12,761 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend West Texas A&M University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Texas A&M University
Dakota State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Dakota State University is a public institution located in Madison, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Dakota State University is $17,691 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Full Dakota State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 161 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
SRU excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend SRU is $19,926 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full SRU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Wilmington University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Wilmington University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Castle, Delaware. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Wilmington University is $14,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full Wilmington University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Northern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. NSU is a small public school situated in Aberdeen, South Dakota. It awarded 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend NSU is $15,851 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Full NSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #22, University of Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UMary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bismarck, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMary excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UMary is $17,410 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
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%.
Full UMary Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Crookston ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Crookston, Minnesota, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UMN Crookston is $10,952 for Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UMN Crookston
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 151 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Minnesota State Mankato is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $16,221 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.
The low 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Minnesota State Mankato
University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Kearney, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.
UNK excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UNK is $16,017 for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNK
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
| 52 | Lindenwood University | Saint Charles, MO |
| 53 | University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Wilmington, NC |
| 54 | Black Hills State University | Spearfish, SD |
| 55 | Southeast Missouri State University | Cape Girardeau, MO |
| 56 | Henderson State University | Arkadelphia, AR |
| 56 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 58 | MSU Texas | Wichita Falls, TX |
| 59 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX |
| 60 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX |
| 61 | Arkansas State University - Main Campus | Jonesboro, AR |
| 62 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX |
| 63 | Wayne State College | Wayne, NE |
| 64 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 65 | Westfield State University | Westfield, MA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Utah Valley University | Orem, UT |
| 92 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico - San German | San German, PR |
| 93 | Northeastern State University | Tahlequah, OK |
| 94 | Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ |
| 95 | Angelo State University | San Angelo, TX |
| 96 | University of Central Missouri | Warrensburg, MO |
| 96 | University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL |
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
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