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2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $75-$110k)

69 Ranked Colleges
3,106 Degrees Awarded
$17,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 218th most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 69 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation and leisure studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $75-$110k)

1

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #1 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Provo is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, BYU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,777 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo

2

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 91 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $15,101 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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 California State University - Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

3
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $20,234 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

4

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 142 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $22,400 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest Missouri State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Maryville, Missouri that handed out 29 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $14,894 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest

6
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school handed out 76 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

U of U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $15,746 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Utah

7
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, UNI has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $18,318 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

8

California State University - Sacramento ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 100 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,925 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Sac State

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,789 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Fresno

10
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. Flagstaff, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $17,920 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at NAU

11
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #11, Lehman College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 26 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,585 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Lehman.

Full Lehman College Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

12

California State University - Chico ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 99 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $20,708 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Chico

13
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $21,035 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Jose State University

14
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Winona State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $18,902 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Winona 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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Winona State University

15

With a ranking of #15, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $22,744 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 94%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

16
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Iowa has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $20,719 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Iowa

17
Pitt State crest
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas

With a ranking of #17, Pittsburg State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Pitt State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pittsburg State University is $17,269 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Pitt State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,938 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

19
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 77 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UARK, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $19,053 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full University of Arkansas Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

20

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 35 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

OSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,322 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend OSU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

21

University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and it awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UNK also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend UNK is $19,463 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UNK

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 116 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $19,956 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Mizzou

23
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York

SUNY Cortland ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. SUNY Cortland is a medium-sized school located in Cortland, New York that handed out 23 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY Cortland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Cortland is $19,429 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Studies at SUNY Cortland

24
Shepherd University crest
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherd University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Shepherd University is a public institution located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Shepherd University is $14,254 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Shepherd University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

25

Southern Oregon University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Ashland, Oregon is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Oregon University is $14,817 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Southern Oregon University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

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