by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 10,384 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,191 and $25,844 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 244 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,077 and $19,490 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 51 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. That schools that top this list have a program in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Frontier Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Frontier Community College is a small school located in Fairfield, Illinois that handed out 8 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Frontier Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lincoln Trail College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Lincoln Trail College is located in Robinson, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 associates’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Full Lincoln Trail College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 51 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Superior State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Lake Superior State University is a public institution located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lake Superior State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Gogebic Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region. This small school is located in Ironwood, Michigan, and it awarded 5 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Gogebic Community College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Cincinnati - Blue Ash College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Blue Ash, Ohio, this medium-sized public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Cincinnati - Clermont College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Batavia, Ohio, this medium-sized public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UC Clermont College
Zane State College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Zanesville, Ohio, this small public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Zane State College
Hocking College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Nelsonville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
Full Hocking Technical College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Wabash Valley College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wabash Valley College is a small public school situated in Mount Carmel, Illinois. It awarded 2 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wabash Valley College
Columbus State Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Columbus State
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Cincinnati State is a medium-sized public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 10 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cincinnati State
The University of Findlay ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Findlay is a private not-for-profit institution located in Findlay, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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 Findlay
University of Rio Grande did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. University of Rio Grande is located in Rio Grande, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 associates’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Rio Grande
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Fennimore, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Southwest Tech Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Lansing Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. LCC is a public institution located in Lansing, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at LCC
Cuyahoga Community College District landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cuyahoga Community College District is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 17 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Delta College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Delta College is a medium-sized school located in University Center, Michigan that handed out 4 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Delta College
James A Rhodes State College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Rhodes State College is a public institution located in Lima, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at James A Rhodes State College
Indiana Institute of Technology ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 2 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Indiana Institute of Technology Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #20, Southwestern Michigan College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Dowagiac, Michigan, this small public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southwestern Michigan College
Madison Area Technical College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Full Madison College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Jackson College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Jackson College is a small school located in Jackson, Michigan that handed out 2 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Jackson College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #23, McHenry County College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. MCC is a public institution located in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at McHenry County College
Henry Ford College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Henry Ford College is a fairly large school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 4 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Henry Ford College
With a ranking of #25, Lewis and Clark Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Lewis and Clark Community College is a public institution located in Godfrey, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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