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

88 Ranked Colleges
5,005 Degrees Awarded
$10,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 the Plains States region, there were 5,808 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,644 and $24,923 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,005 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 88 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

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 the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region 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 the Plains States Region

#1

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 88 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Truman State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Truman State University is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 104 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Truman State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,564 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Truman State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 104 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $7,266 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Out of the 88 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #3 spot on the list. UMN Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,230 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Morris.

The 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, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Morris

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 88 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 238 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 students.

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

Out of the 88 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Crookston landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Crookston, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Crookston is $5,832 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Minnesota - Crookston Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#6 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 126 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,940 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mizzou.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mizzou Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#8

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,757 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNI.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#9

Chadron State College

Chadron, Nebraska
#1 in overall quality

Chadron State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Chadron State College is located in Chadron, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chadron State College has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chadron State College is $12,553 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Chadron State College

#7 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 79 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $11,524 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

#11

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, North Dakota

Dickinson State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dickinson State University is a small public school situated in Dickinson, North Dakota. It awarded 8 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,402 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DSU.

Full DSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#11 in overall quality

Winona State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Winona State is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 107 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $12,381 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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, & Fitness Studies at Winona State

#13

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#18 in overall quality

St Olaf College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $12,459 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St. Olaf

#14 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 151 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,057 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#15

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k 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 652 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $10,490 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#17

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#17 in overall quality

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UND has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $11,092 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full University of North Dakota Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Northwest Missouri State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $9,990 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northwest Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Missouri Southern State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern is $7,882 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Missouri Southern

Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized school located in Marshall, Minnesota that handed out 58 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $10,801 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#21

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

Missouri Western State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Missouri Western State University is located in Saint Joseph, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Western State University is $8,762 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Missouri Western State University

#22

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,688 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St. Cloud State University

#23

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

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

#24

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#13 in overall quality

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. South Dakota State is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 50 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $15,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#25

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas

Emporia State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Emporia, Kansas, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,624 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emporia State University.

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

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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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