2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Plains States Region
36
Ranked Colleges
662
Degrees Awarded
$41,613
Avg Salary
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Plains States region, there were 5,811 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,332 and $25,331 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 662 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,401 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region”.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Plains States Region
Out of the 36 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Logan University landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Chesterfield, Missouri, and it awarded 95 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Logan University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William Penn University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Full William Penn University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Concordia University, Saint Paul. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 79 masters’s parks and rec degrees 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Saint Paul
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern State University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and it awarded 13 masters’s parks and rec degrees 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%.
Full Northern State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri Baptist University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 24 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at MBU
Avila University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Full Avila Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Minot State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. MSU is a public institution located in Minot, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full MSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Baker University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Baker is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baldwin City, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Baker University
With a ranking of #9, Augustana University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Augustana University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Augustana University
With a ranking of #10, University of Mary did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. UMary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bismarck, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Mary Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Upper Iowa University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. Fayette, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
Full UIU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Missouri Western State University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Missouri Western State University is a small school located in Saint Joseph, Missouri that handed out 11 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Missouri Western State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of South Dakota ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, this medium-sized public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full University of South Dakota Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Full Northwest Missouri State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Central Missouri landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UCM is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of Central Missouri Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Lindenwood University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Charles, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Full Lindenwood University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Minnesota State Mankato
Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. Wichita State University is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 32 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Wichita State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #19, Grand View University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 4 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grand View University
University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha
College of Saint Mary did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. College of Saint Mary is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full College of Saint Mary Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #22. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 15 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNI
Concordia University, Nebraska did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Seward, Nebraska, and it awarded 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Nebraska
University of Iowa ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Iowa Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
South Dakota State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 9 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Dakota State University
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