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2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools

69 Ranked Colleges
3,122 Degrees Awarded
$15,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Recreation Admin Schools

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Recreation Admin Schools” ranking.

Recreation Administration is the 163rd most popular major in the country with 3,122 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Recreation Admin Schools” ranking, we looked at 69 colleges that offer 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the recreation administration program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Recreation Administration Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Recreation Admin Schools” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Recreation Admin Schools.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Recreation Administration

1
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. South Dakota State University is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

South Dakota State also made our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $18,578 for Recreation Admin students per year to attend South Dakota State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State Recreation Administration Report

2

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 54 diplomas to qualified ’s recreation admin students in 2020-2021.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $15,305 for recreation admin students.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at WIU

3
SRU crest
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. SRU is a public institution located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SRU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SRU is $19,927 for recreation admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Recreation Administration at SRU

4

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 38 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse also took the #13 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,654 for Recreation Admin students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at UW - La Crosse

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 267 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,298 for Recreation Admin students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 FIU

6

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 46 degrees to qualified ’s recreation admin students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,698 for recreation admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at Brigham Young University - Idaho

7

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking, coming in at #7. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 80 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas is $14,122 for Recreation Admin students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNT Recreation Administration Report

8
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking. Bowling Green, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s recreation admin degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.

WKU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WKU is $12,522 for recreation admin students.

Read more about Recreation Administration at Western Kentucky University

9
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking, coming in at #9. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s recreation admin degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

UARK also took the #5 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,507 for Recreation Admin students per year to attend University of Arkansas.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at UARK

10
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. Central Michigan 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 #23 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $16,007 for Recreation Admin students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Recreation Administration at Central Michigan University

11

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified ’s recreation admin students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $17,159 for Recreation Admin students.

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%.

Read more about Recreation Administration at Minnesota State Mankato

12
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s recreation admin degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. It costs about $5,135 for recreation admin students per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Recreation Administration at UF

13
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking, coming in at #13. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 16 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $14,581 for recreation admin students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full St. Cloud State University Recreation Administration Report

14
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking, coming in at #14. Western Carolina University is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s recreation admin degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $13,924 for recreation admin students.

Read more about Recreation Administration at WCU

15

Southwestern Oklahoma State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a small public school situated in Weatherford, Oklahoma. It awarded 17 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwestern Oklahoma State University is $13,202 for Recreation Admin students.

Full Southwestern Oklahoma State University Recreation Administration Report

16
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

With a ranking of #16, Texas State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. San Marcos, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s recreation admin degrees to 91 students in 2020-2021.

Texas State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. It costs about $14,887 for Recreation Admin students per year to attend Texas State.

Read more about Recreation Administration at Texas State

17

Illinois State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 87 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,830 for recreation admin students.

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 Illinois State Recreation Administration Report

18
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 12 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,098 for recreation admin students per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at Eastern Illinois University

19
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 79 degrees to qualified ’s recreation admin students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,411 for recreation admin students per year to attend NC State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at North Carolina State University

20
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 5 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend WMU is $20,371 for recreation admin students.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at WMU

21

University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. Wilmington, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s recreation admin degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our recreation admin students list, UNCW has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Wilmington is $19,136 for Recreation Admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Recreation Administration at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

22
SUNY Brockport crest
The College at Brockport
Brockport, New York

The College at Brockport ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. SUNY Brockport is a medium-sized school located in Brockport, New York that handed out 14 ’s recreation admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Brockport, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Brockport is $16,532 for recreation admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at The College at Brockport

23
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking, coming in at #23. Clemson University is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Clemson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Clemson is $21,262 for Recreation Admin students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Clemson University Recreation Administration Report

24
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale crest
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Recreation Admin Schools ranking, coming in at #24. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Recreation Administration Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is $36,084 for Recreation Admin students.

Read full report on Recreation Administration at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

25
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Recreation Admin Schools list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s recreation admin degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $9,946 for Recreation Admin students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Recreation Administration at Florida State University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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