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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida

23 Ranked Colleges
1,583 Degrees Awarded
$20,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Florida

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 72,122 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. 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 Florida, there were 2,268 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,050 and $23,756 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,583 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,173 and $25,318 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida” ranking looked at 23 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Florida” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 Florida

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

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Florida

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 151 students in 2019-2020.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $6,302 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 261 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, FIU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $7,296 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#3

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $9,789 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#4

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida. UNF is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 82 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UNF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $9,606 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#5

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #5 spot on the list. Fort Myers, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

FGCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The estimated yearly cost for FGCU is $11,606 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Full Florida Gulf Coast University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#6

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
#8 in overall quality

Florida Atlantic University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. Florida Atlantic University is a large school located in Boca Raton, Florida that handed out 156 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

FAU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FAU is $10,186 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#7

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#7 in overall quality

The University of West Florida landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 135 students in 2019-2020.

UWF also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $7,406 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend UWF.

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

#21 in overall quality

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Florida A&M University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida A&M University is $15,060 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida A&M University

#9

Flagler College - St Augustine

Saint Augustine, Florida
#12 in overall quality

Flagler College - St Augustine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. Located in Saint Augustine, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Flagler St. Augustine has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Flagler St. Augustine is $23,237 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Flagler College - St Augustine

#10

Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale, Florida
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is $33,428 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Full Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Southeastern University

Lakeland, Florida
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Southeastern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. This medium-sized school is located in Lakeland, Florida, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SEU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. It costs about $24,909 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend SEU.

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

#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Johnson & Wales University - North Miami did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. This small school is located in North Miami, Florida, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

JWU North Miami not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The yearly cost to attend JWU North Miami is $22,909 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Full Johnson & Wales University - North Miami Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

The University of Tampa

Tampa, Florida
#10 in overall quality

The University of Tampa landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking. Tampa, Florida 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 52 students in 2019-2020.

UT also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UT is $30,990 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UT

#14

Saint Leo University

Saint Leo, Florida
#20 in overall quality

Saint Leo University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking. Saint Leo, Florida 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 25 students in 2019-2020.

St. Leo University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Leo University is $18,869 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Full St. Leo University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

Webber International University

Babson Park, Florida
#22 in overall quality

Webber International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Babson Park, Florida, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Webber International University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Webber International University is $24,479 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#16

Palm Beach Atlantic University

West Palm Beach, Florida
#13 in overall quality

Palm Beach Atlantic University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in West Palm Beach, Florida, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Palm Beach Atlantic did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. It costs about $25,887 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Palm Beach Atlantic.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full Palm Beach Atlantic University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#17

Barry University

Miami, Florida
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Barry University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. Miami, Florida 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 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Barry University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. It costs about $17,994 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Barry University.

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

#18

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, Florida
#16 in overall quality

Nova Southeastern University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

NUS Florida did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The yearly cost to attend Nova Southeastern University is $23,905 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Nova Southeastern University

#19

University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, Florida
#23 in overall quality

University of Florida-Online landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, UF Online has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF Online is $7,492 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 UF Online

#20

Lynn University

Boca Raton, Florida
#17 in overall quality

Lynn University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking. Lynn University Fighting Knights is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lynn University Fighting Knights, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lynn University Fighting Knights is $36,044 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#21

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville, Florida
#18 in overall quality

Jacksonville University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking. JU is a small school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 20 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

JU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The yearly cost to attend Jacksonville University is $24,084 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#22

Stetson University

DeLand, Florida
#11 in overall quality

Stetson University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida list. Stetson University is located in DeLand, Florida and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Stetson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stetson University is $23,568 for Florida Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#23

University of Miami

Coral Gables, Florida
#2 in overall quality

University of Miami landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Florida ranking. U Miami is a private not-for-profit institution located in Coral Gables, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, U Miami has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking. It costs about $46,949 for florida bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend U Miami.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Miami 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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