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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Michigan

22 Ranked Colleges
1,966 Degrees Awarded
$29,569 Avg Salary
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 Michigan, there were 2,219 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,195 and $25,918 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,966 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,161 and $25,915 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 22 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Michigan

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 270 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $10,028 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan Technological University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Michigan Technological University is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $13,720 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Michigan Tech Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#3

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 272 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, GVSU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $15,775 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Grand Valley State University

#4

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central Michigan University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 328 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Central Michigan has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $14,591 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#5

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saginaw Valley State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized school located in University Center, Michigan that handed out 66 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Saginaw Valley State University also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $14,230 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saginaw Valley State University

#6

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Oakland University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $10,387 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#7

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 123 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Michigan, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $16,042 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#2 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 358 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Michigan State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $20,696 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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 Michigan State University

#9

Aquinas College Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Aquinas College Michigan landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Aquinas College Michigan is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Aquinas College Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $17,715 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Aquinas College Michigan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Aquinas College Michigan

#10

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Wayne State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 4 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Wayne State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $13,668 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wayne State.

Full Wayne State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Lake Superior State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Superior State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $13,073 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#12

Hope College

Holland, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

Hope College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Hope is a private not-for-profit institution located in Holland, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Hope has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $20,372 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hope College.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Hope College

#13

Northwood University

Midland, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Northwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Midland, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwood, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwood is $20,968 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

#14

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Northern Michigan University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northern Michigan University is located in Marquette, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Northern Michigan University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Michigan University is $15,753 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#15

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $19,841 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Western Michigan University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#16

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

Spring Arbor University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Spring Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Spring Arbor, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $18,662 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Spring Arbor.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Spring Arbor University

#17

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Calvin University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Calvin is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Calvin, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $23,773 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Calvin University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#18

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Cornerstone University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornerstone also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $19,973 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cornerstone.

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 Cornerstone

#19

Adrian College

Adrian, Michigan
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Adrian College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Adrian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Adrian, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Adrian not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Adrian College is $23,750 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#20

Olivet College

Olivet, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Olivet College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet College is located in Olivet, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Olivet also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Olivet is $24,838 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#21

Davenport University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#21 in overall quality

Davenport University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Davenport University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Davenport University is $20,172 for michigan bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#22

Concordia University, Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Concordia University, Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Concordia University, Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $23,463 for Michigan Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Concordia University, Ann Arbor.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full Concordia University, Ann Arbor Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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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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