2027 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies Schools in District of Columbia

[Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools.
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2027 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies Schools
Our analysis ranked George Washington University the best value for a degree in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,710. Typical student debt for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates is $22,910. Early-career parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates make about $73,749. Set against $22,910 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Gallaudet University earned it the #2 place for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies. Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,654. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates carry a median of $24,123 in student loans. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates of Gallaudet University earn a median of $38,090 early in their careers. Set against $24,123 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 58%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Georgetown University earned it the #3 place for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies. Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $68,089 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates is $16,483. Early-career parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates make about $54,668. That is a strong return on a $16,483 median debt. Roughly 13% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies will find it at Howard University, which ranked #4. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Typical student debt for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $30,733. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 41%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.