2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
69
Ranked Colleges
3,106
Degrees Awarded
$10,100
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 69 colleges that offered 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 $30-$48k” 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. 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 Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k)
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #1 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 160 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 142 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $8,036 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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 Making $30-$48k. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $4,655 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Fresno
Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 100 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Sac State
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,609 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 UMN Twin Cities Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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.
BYU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $10,333 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full BYU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 99 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Chico State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,040 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chico State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 California State University - Chico
Northern Arizona University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $11,320 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northern Arizona University
With a ranking of #10, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 40 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $13,378 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Jose State University
With a ranking of #11, Lehman College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lehman College is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 26 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,381 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Lehman
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. OSU is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 35 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, OSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,990 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #13, Northwest Missouri State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwest, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwest is $10,608 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 119 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
With a ranking of #15, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 60 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNI has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,175 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNI.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Northern Iowa
University of Utah ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. U of U 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 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 $11,823 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 University of Utah
University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $11,386 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mizzou.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Mizzou
With a ranking of #18, Western Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Bellingham, Washington, and it awarded 48 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $11,357 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at WWU
University of Iowa ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 53 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,508 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Iowa
San Diego State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $9,274 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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.
Full SDSU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #21, Winona State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $12,963 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Winona State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #22, Eastern Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Eastern Washington University is a public institution located in Cheney, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend EWU is $8,595 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Eastern Washington University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #23, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,697 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.
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%.
Full UMN Duluth Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
California State University - East Bay landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,025 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State East Bay Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Shepherd University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.
It costs about $9,126 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Shepherd University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Shepherd University
college factual
