2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia
12
Ranked Colleges
1,741
Degrees Awarded
$17,100
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
Across Virginia, there were 1,741 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,990 and $25,658 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 125 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $5,972 for Virginia Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William & Mary
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 117 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for virginia parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.
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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 326 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at JMU, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $14,288 for virginia parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at JMU
Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Old Dominion University landed the #4 spot on the list. Old Dominion is a large school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 142 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Old Dominion not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Old Dominion University is $13,335 for virginia parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Old Dominion University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. GMU is a public institution located in Fairfax, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GMU is $14,781 for Virginia Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full GMU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Bridgewater College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bridgewater is located in Bridgewater, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bridgewater, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater is $16,714 for virginia parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Bridgewater College
With a ranking of #7, Radford University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Radford, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Radford, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Radford is $11,420 for virginia parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Radford
Roanoke College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Roanoke also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $20,495 for virginia parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Roanoke College.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Roanoke Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. VCU is a large school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 47 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
VCU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $14,507 for Virginia Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Commonwealth University.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at VCU
With a ranking of #10, Averett University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Danville, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
AU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $21,935 for virginia parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend AU.
Full Averett University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
