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2023 Best Value Colleges for Recreation Administration in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

11 Ranked Colleges
392 Degrees Awarded
$17,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 3,122 people earned their degree in recreation administration, making the major the 163rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, recreation administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,874 and had an average of $23,610 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 392 recreation administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,213 and $25,531 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in recreation administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great recreation administration programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the recreation administration program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Recreation Administration Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Recreation Administration in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region recreation admin students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Recreation Administration at UW - La Crosse

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 54 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $15,305 for Great Lakes Region Recreation Admin students with aid.

Read more about Recreation Administration at WIU

3
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 10 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Recreation Admin students with aid.

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 Recreation Administration at Central Michigan

4
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Terre Haute, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s recreation admin degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Indiana State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,270 for Great Lakes Region Recreation Admin students with aid per year to attend Indiana State.

Read more about Recreation Administration at Indiana State University

5
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s recreation admin students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,098 for Great Lakes Region Recreation Admin students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full EIU Recreation Administration Report

6

Illinois State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 87 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also made our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $20,830 for great lakes region recreation admin students with aid per year to attend Illinois State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Recreation Administration Report

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s recreation admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region recreation admin students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Recreation Admin students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Recreation Administration at Michigan State

8
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. WMU is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 5 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Recreation Admin students with aid.

Read more about Recreation Administration at WMU

9
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Saint Francis also took the #10 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $17,102 for great lakes region recreation admin students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Recreation Administration at University of St Francis

10

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s recreation admin degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

Kent State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $19,117 for Great Lakes Region Recreation Admin students with aid.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at Kent State University at Kent

11
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, Indiana

Trine University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Trine University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Angola, Indiana. It awarded 8 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Trine also took the #6 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,028 for great lakes region recreation admin students with aid per year to attend Trine University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at Trine University

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