2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
517
Ranked Colleges
73,813
Degrees Awarded
$5,600
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 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.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 517 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 71 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York
Out of the 517 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 326 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Out of the 517 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 62 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $917 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwestern University
Out of the 517 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 306 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UF also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $2,857 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UF
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Houston, Texas 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 104 students in 2020-2021.
Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $1,340 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rice.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rice University
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 643 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington
With a ranking of #7, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 401 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNC Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 148 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,788 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #9, William & Mary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 125 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, William & Mary 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. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $7,507 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William & Mary
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 339 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $2,701 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Los Angeles
Emory University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $8,976 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Emory
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 317 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $8,036 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.
Full UIUC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Mt. San Antonio College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mt. SAC is located in Walnut, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 521 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $3,035 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mt. SAC.
Full Mt. SAC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #14, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 131 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Purdue is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,853 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 124 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of West Florida landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UWF is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 147 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,827 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UWF.
Full The University of West Florida Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #17, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 323 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $4,655 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Fresno State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #18, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 69 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Wake Forest University 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 Wake Forest University is $5,612 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wake Forest University
With a ranking of #19, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 83 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $3,105 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Brooklyn College
Florida International University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 274 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FIU is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $4,882 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIU.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida International University
American Public University System ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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. It costs about $10,885 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend American Public University System.
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 Public University System
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 394 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,912 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Rio Grande Valley
Florida State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 219 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $7,349 for parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida State
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 248 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It costs about $8,581 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Georgetown University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 150 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Georgetown is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $9,871 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Georgetown
