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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Michigan

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

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan

The colleges and universities below are the best for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 270 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 358 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#3

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 272 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, GVSU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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%.

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

#4

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 #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 328 students in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $15,981 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#5

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saginaw Valley State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saginaw Valley State University, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saginaw Valley State University

#4 in overall quality

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking, coming in at #6. Michigan Technological University is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $16,463 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

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

#7

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 107 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $19,433 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Western Michigan University.

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

#8

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Lake Superior State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking, coming in at #8. Lake Superior State University is a public institution located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Superior State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lake Superior State University

#9

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Eastern Michigan University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 123 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Eastern Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#10

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking, coming in at #10. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Oakland also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $11,802 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Oakland University.

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

#11

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Wayne State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 4 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wayne State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $13,965 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Wayne State University.

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

#12

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Northern Michigan University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Marquette, Michigan, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northern Michigan University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $15,453 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#13

Davenport University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#21 in overall quality

Davenport University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Davenport University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $16,098 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Davenport University.

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

#14

Northwood University

Midland, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

Northwood University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. Northwood is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Midland, Michigan. 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 list, Northwood has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwood is $21,618 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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.

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

#15

Hope College

Holland, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

Hope College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking. Hope is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Holland, Michigan. It awarded 29 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Hope did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $26,562 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Hope College.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Hope

#16

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Cornerstone University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Cornerstone has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornerstone is $20,740 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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 Cornerstone University

#17

Olivet College

Olivet, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Olivet College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking. Olivet is a private not-for-profit institution located in Olivet, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students 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 per year to attend Olivet.

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

#18

Concordia University, Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Concordia University, Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. Concordia University, Ann Arbor is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Ann Arbor also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $24,557 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students 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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Ann Arbor

#19

Aquinas College Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Aquinas College Michigan came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking. Aquinas College Michigan is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Aquinas College Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aquinas College Michigan is $18,549 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#20

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

Spring Arbor University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan ranking. Located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Spring Arbor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Spring Arbor is $19,183 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#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 ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Calvin also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Calvin is $26,647 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#22

Adrian College

Adrian, Michigan
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Adrian College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan list. Adrian is located in Adrian, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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.

Full Adrian 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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