2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (With Aid)
69
Ranked Colleges
3,106
Degrees Awarded
$14,200
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 166th most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,801 and had an average of $23,333 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 69 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation and leisure studies 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 parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools
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 “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (With Aid)
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for parks & rec students with aid per year to attend UIUC.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Full UIUC Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 160 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for parks & rec students with aid.
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 3.4% 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%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 91 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Long Beach
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #4 spot on the list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full BYU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #5 spot on the 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. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Sacramento
University of Utah did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U of U also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $13,572 for parks & rec students with aid.
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 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 U of U Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, 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 87%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Fresno State
Lehman College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 26 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $2,614 for parks & rec students with aid.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Lehman College
San Jose State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 40 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for parks & rec students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Jose State University
California State University - Chico came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 99 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students with aid list, Chico State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,218 for parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Chico State.
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
Northwest Missouri State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwest is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students with aid list, Northwest has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwest is $12,925 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest Missouri State University
University of Northern Iowa ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UNI is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 60 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $16,438 for parks & rec 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 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UNI Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Iowa ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,401 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Iowa
With a ranking of #14, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. NAU is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 59 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
NAU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,308 for parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Northern Arizona University.
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%.
Full NAU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Winona State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $17,634 for Parks & Rec students with aid 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
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
OSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,237 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #17, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 116 students in 2020-2021.
Mizzou also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,559 for parks & rec students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Mizzou
Pittsburg State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pitt State 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.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students with aid list, Pitt State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt State is $14,575 for parks & rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Pitt State
With a ranking of #19, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 37 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend ECU is $16,550 for parks & rec students with aid.
Full East Carolina University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 119 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,677 for parks & rec students with aid per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. It costs about $17,878 for Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
California State University - East Bay ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Cal State East Bay
San Francisco State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 46 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,459 for Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend San Francisco State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full San Francisco State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 64 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $11,629 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
Full UNC Greensboro Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of Arkansas came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UARK is a public institution located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UARK also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arkansas is $16,507 for Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Arkansas
