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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region

165 Ranked Colleges
8,091 Degrees Awarded
$29,847 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,091 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 165 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Great Lakes Region

1
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trine University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region. Trine is a small school located in Angola, Indiana that handed out 77 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Trine University

2
Defiance College crest
Defiance College
Defiance, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Defiance College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Defiance College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Defiance, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

3
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Out of the 165 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Monmouth College landed the #3 spot on the list. Monmouth College is a small school located in Monmouth, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

4
Adrian crest
Adrian College
Adrian, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Adrian College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Adrian is located in Adrian, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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

5
Carroll U crest
Carroll University
Waukesha, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carroll University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region. Carroll U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It awarded 108 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6

University of Mount Union did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. University of Mount Union is a small school located in Alliance, Ohio that handed out 60 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mount Union

7
Franklin College of Indiana crest
Franklin College
Franklin, Indiana

With a ranking of #7, Franklin College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Franklin, Indiana, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Franklin College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

8

Heidelberg University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Heidelberg University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tiffin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

9
Bluffton crest
Bluffton University
Bluffton, Ohio

With a ranking of #9, Bluffton University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bluffton University is located in Bluffton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

10
Olivet crest
Olivet College
Olivet, Michigan

Olivet College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Olivet College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Olivet, Michigan. It awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

11
Wilmington College crest
Wilmington College
Wilmington, Ohio

Wilmington College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wilmington, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

Full Wilmington College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

12
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

Eureka College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Eureka, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

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

13
Central State University crest
Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio

With a ranking of #13, Central State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Wilberforce, Ohio, this medium-sized public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

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

14
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana

Hanover College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Hanover is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hanover College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

15

Ohio Wesleyan University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Delaware, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.

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

16
Manchester University crest
Manchester University
North Manchester, Indiana

With a ranking of #16, Manchester University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Manchester University is located in North Manchester, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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

17
Wittenberg crest
Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio

With a ranking of #17, Wittenberg University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wittenberg is a small school located in Springfield, Ohio that handed out 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Wittenberg University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

18

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 214 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

19

Concordia University, Ann Arbor ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.

Full Concordia University, Ann Arbor Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

20
UIndy crest
University of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana

University of Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. University of Indianapolis is a medium-sized school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 102 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

21
Greenville crest
Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois

Greenville University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Greenville is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greenville, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

22
John Carroll crest
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio

With a ranking of #22, John Carroll University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution located in University Heights, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

23
Quincy U crest
Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Quincy, Illinois, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

24
Lincoln College crest
Lincoln College
Lincoln, Illinois

Lincoln College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Lincoln College is a small school located in Lincoln, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

25
UE crest
University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana

University of Evansville landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Evansville is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

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