by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 68 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 4,883 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The parks & rec bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their bachelor's degree.
The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to take a look at University of Iowa. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Iowa
It's hard to beat Iowa State University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Iowa State is a very large public university located in the city of Ames.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Iowa State University
It's difficult to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minnesota State University - Mankato is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Mankato.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Minnesota State University - Mankato
Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Kansas
Loras is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Dubuque.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Loras College
St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Davenport.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Saint Ambrose University
UNI is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Cedar Falls.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Northern Iowa
Maryville U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Maryville University of Saint Louis
Located in the small city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Lindenwood University
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
| 12 | University of Missouri - Columbia | Columbia, MO |
| 13 | Gustavus Adolphus College | Saint Peter, MN |
| 14 | North Dakota State University - Main Campus | Fargo, ND |
| 15 | South Dakota State University | Brookings, SD |
| 16 | Simpson College | Indianola, IA |
| 17 | Winona State University | Winona, MN |
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 35 | 1,095 |
| Kansas | 33 | 636 |
| Minnesota | 33 | 931 |
| Iowa | 32 | 1,345 |
| South Dakota | 31 | 281 |
| Nebraska | 31 | 375 |
| North Dakota | 30 | 220 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 4,303 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 430 |
| Recreation Administration | 137 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 7 |
| Outdoor Education | 6 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 2,696 |
