2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools
515
Ranked Colleges
73,813
Degrees Awarded
$16,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools” ranking, we looked at 515 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness 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”.
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. 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.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 683 students in 2020-2021.
American Military University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $10,563 for Parks & Rec students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Military University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools 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 267 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, BYU is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $13,474 for Parks & Rec students per year to attend BYU.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 50 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, South Dakota State also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $18,578 for Parks & Rec students.
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 University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Concordia University, Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools. Irvine, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 438 students in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Irvine excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Irvine is $27,201 for parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Concordia University, Irvine Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Concordia University, Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 429 students in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Chicago excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,051 for parks & rec students.
The low undergrad 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 Concordia University, Chicago Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Central Michigan University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 292 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Central Michigan excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $16,007 for parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 252 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - La Crosse also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,654 for Parks & Rec students.
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 1.5% 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, & Fitness Studies at UW - La Crosse
Arkansas State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and it awarded 276 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend A-State is $14,189 for parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full A-State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Grand Canyon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this large private for-profit school handed out 265 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Grand Canyon University excels when it comes to parks and rec quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $20,585 for Parks & Rec students per year to attend Grand Canyon University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grand Canyon University
Minot State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. Minot State University is a public institution located in Minot, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for MSU is $12,205 for parks & rec students.
Full MSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, North Dakota State University is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,998 for Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Dakota State University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. NWOSU is a public institution located in Alva, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for NWOSU is $10,470 for parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at NWOSU
Liberty University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 403 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $29,382 for parks & rec students.
Full Liberty University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of the Cumberlands landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. University of the Cumberlands is a fairly large school located in Williamsburg, Kentucky that handed out 49 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cumberlands is $13,476 for Parks & Rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of the Cumberlands
University of Southern Mississippi landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. University of Southern Mississippi is a fairly large school located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that handed out 206 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Miss is $14,032 for Parks & Rec students.
Full University of Southern Mississippi Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 175 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Minnesota State Mankato is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $17,159 for parks & rec 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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato
Winona State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking, coming in at #17. Winona State University is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Winona State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $17,634 for parks & rec students per year to attend Winona State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Winona State University
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. SRU is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 104 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SRU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $19,927 for Parks & Rec students per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
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, & Fitness Studies at SRU
California University of Pennsylvania came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. California, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 374 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Cal U is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Cal U is $19,117 for Parks & Rec students.
Full Cal U Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #20, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,966 for parks & rec students per year to attend UND.
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%.
Full UND Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking, coming in at #21. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 118 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,305 for parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at WIU
University of Memphis ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. This large school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 545 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,904 for parks & rec students per year to attend University of Memphis.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UofM
Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking, coming in at #23. This medium-sized school is located in Durant, Oklahoma, and it awarded 187 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $8,109 for parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
With a ranking of #24, Grace College and Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools list. This small school is located in Winona Lake, Indiana, and it awarded 37 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Grace College is $20,060 for Parks & Rec 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 Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grace College
Northwest Missouri State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 52 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Northwest is $12,925 for parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwest
