2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Iowa, there were 1,572 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,615 and $25,199 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 77 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $52,298 and $45,299 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 5 colleges that offered 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

#1

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

$25,948 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State University are $25,948, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$22,648 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 21 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNI has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Northern Iowa are $22,648.

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

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

#1 in overall quality

$27,613 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 22 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Iowa are $27,613.

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

#4

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$9,170 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand View University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grand View University, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Grand View University are $9,170.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grand View University

#5

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

#4 in overall quality

$19,152 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Upper Iowa University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fayette, Iowa. It awarded 17 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Upper Iowa University are $19,152, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Upper Iowa University

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k)

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.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.

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