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2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region

168 Ranked Colleges
5,811 Degrees Awarded
$25,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 168 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

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More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region”.

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 675 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 University of Iowa

2

Out of the 168 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 251 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full Iowa State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

3
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Kansas. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 214 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

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

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Concordia University, Saint Paul. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 198 ’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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Saint Paul

5

Out of the 168 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 175 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Missouri State is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 149 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. UNI is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

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

8
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 128 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 124 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UMN Twin Cities

10
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #10, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saint Louis University

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 120 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

12
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Central Missouri is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 108 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

13
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Winona, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Winona State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

13
Logan University crest
Logan University
Chesterfield, Missouri

Logan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. Logan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chesterfield, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Logan University

15
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

With a ranking of #15, Truman State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

16

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 91 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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 University of Nebraska at Omaha

17

University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Kearney, Nebraska, this medium-sized public school awarded 88 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNK

18

North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

19
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

University of South Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #19. University of South Dakota is located in Vermillion, South Dakota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full University of South Dakota Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

20

Wichita State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 76 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

21

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 74 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Duluth

22
Missouri Western crest
Missouri Western State University
Saint Joseph, Missouri

With a ranking of #22, Missouri Western State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Saint Joseph, Missouri, and it awarded 72 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

23

Saint Ambrose University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Davenport, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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 St. Ambrose University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

24

William Penn University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. William Penn University is located in Oskaloosa, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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

25
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota

University of Mary did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. UMary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bismarck, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 University of Mary

Rest of the Best 26 in Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Plains States Region

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Grand View University crest
Grand View University
Des Moines, Iowa

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References

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