2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 10,194 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,368 and $24,957 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,021 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 112 colleges that offered 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.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 112 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 219 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 112 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Eau Claire
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 89 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full UW - Parkside Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 100 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,607 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend EIU.
Full EIU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University
Grand Valley State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 GVSU
Youngstown State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 53 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Youngstown State University.
Full Youngstown State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Western Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 83 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Illinois University
Northern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at NIU
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SIUC
With a ranking of #13, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 138 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Western Michigan University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend WMU is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Michigan University
Lake Superior State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,398 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Lake Superior State University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lake Superior State University
With a ranking of #16, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 123 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.
Full Eastern Michigan University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Central Michigan University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 328 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Central Michigan also took the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Central Michigan
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
With a ranking of #19, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend USI is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Southern Indiana Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Kent State University at Kent came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Kent State.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Kent State University at Kent
Grace College and Theological Seminary came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grace College and Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winona Lake, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $20,820 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Grace College and Theological Seminary.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 136 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $22,906 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend OHIO Athens.
Full OHIO Athens Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Indiana State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana State University is a fairly large school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 125 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana State is $13,896 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana State University
Marian University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Marian is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. It awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Marian University is $19,928 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Marian
University of Akron Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 68 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Akron Main Campus
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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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