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2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k

15 Ranked Colleges
506 Degrees Awarded
$20,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 152nd most popular major in the country with 3,224 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,957 and had an average of $22,487 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 521 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,750 and $23,096 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 506 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 15 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #1 spot on the list. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 Northern Iowa

#2

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Winona State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Winona State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,656 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low 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%.

Full University of Iowa Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Nebraska at Kearney. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a medium-sized school located in Kearney, Nebraska that handed out 57 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNK also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Kearney is $16,017 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UNK

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 126 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The 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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

#5

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emporia State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Emporia State University is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

ESU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,822 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend ESU.

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

#10 in overall quality

Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #7. Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution located in Maryville, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,354 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

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

#8

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Pitt State is a public institution located in Pittsburg, Kansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitt State is $14,436 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Pitt State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 8 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,040 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UNOMAHA.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,725 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#11

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It awarded 13 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Southeast Missouri State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Southeast Missouri State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#12

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The low 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%. 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

#13

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Saint Charles, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Lindenwood University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $17,491 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Full Lindenwood University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #14 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Minnesota - Duluth Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#15

Baker University

Baldwin City, Kansas
#13 in overall quality

Baker University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Baldwin City, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, Baker has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Baker is $22,879 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Baker

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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