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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Texas

47 Ranked Colleges
6,010 Degrees Awarded
$8,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k

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 for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 72,122 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.

Across Texas, there were 7,340 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,010 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 47 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Texas

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $3,437 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Rice University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #2 spot on the list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 305 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Rio Grande Valley, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNT is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 308 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UNT also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend UNT is $8,521 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNT

#4

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 349 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $12,317 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Tech

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 453 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $11,454 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M University - College Station

#13 in overall quality

The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 355 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $10,516 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. TWU is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $6,706 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Woman’s University.

Full Texas Woman’s University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Texas A&M International University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Laredo, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $2,261 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M International University

#1 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $12,203 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UT Austin Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

University of Houston - Clear Lake came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UH Clear Lake is a medium-sized public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 63 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake is $4,517 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UH Clear Lake

#21 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Tyler came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Tyler is a medium-sized school located in Tyler, Texas that handed out 91 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Tyler not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Tyler is $6,797 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at Tyler

#15 in overall quality

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” ranking. It costs about $7,889 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Permian Basin

#13

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#8 in overall quality

University of Houston landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 439 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list. The yearly cost to attend UH is $10,203 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Houston

#16 in overall quality

Stephen F Austin State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stephen F Austin State University is located in Nacogdoches, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 146 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFASU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stephen F Austin State University is $8,650 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Stephen F Austin State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 551 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $11,125 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Texas State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#16

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $7,703 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at MSU Texas

With a ranking of #17, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in El Paso, Texas, and it awarded 169 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,092 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at El Paso.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UTEP

#18

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lamar University is located in Beaumont, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,200 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lamar University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lamar University

#19

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas
#23 in overall quality

Angelo State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Angelo, Texas, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Angelo State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list. The yearly cost to attend Angelo State is $9,799 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Angelo State University

#20

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#14 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Huntsville, Texas, this large public school handed out 141 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

SHSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list. It costs about $10,561 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SHSU.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sam Houston State University

#11 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Arlington, Texas, and it awarded 235 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” list. It costs about $11,811 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Arlington.

Full UT Arlington Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Texas A&M University - San Antonio ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M San Antonio is a medium-sized public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 71 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,372 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M San Antonio.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M San Antonio

Texas A&M University - Kingsville ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M Kingsville is a public institution located in Kingsville, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,105 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M University - Kingsville.

Full Texas A&M Kingsville Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Commerce, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 75 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M Commerce is $10,013 for texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M Commerce

#25

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas
#24 in overall quality

West Texas A&M University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Texas For Those Making $0-$30k list. West Texas A&M University is a fairly large school located in Canyon, Texas that handed out 58 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our texas bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, West Texas A&M University has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Texas” ranking. The yearly cost to attend West Texas A&M University is $8,730 for Texas Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Texas A&M University

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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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