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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

22 Ranked Colleges
2,272 Degrees Awarded
$28,567 Avg Salary
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 the Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,643 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,100 and $19,813 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,272 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 22 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. 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 Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college 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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

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

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #1 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 91 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU - I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $6,287 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend BYU - I.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Brigham Young University - Idaho

#2

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wyoming is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 78 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $11,491 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

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

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 258 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $12,466 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo

#4

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Utah is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 279 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

U of U also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $14,501 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full University of Utah Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Utah Valley University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Utah Valley University is a public institution located in Orem, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UVU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah Valley University is $9,755 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a large school located in Fort Collins, Colorado that handed out 335 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $15,927 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Colorado State University - Fort Collins

#5 in overall quality

University of Northern Colorado landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large public school situated in Greeley, Colorado. It awarded 162 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Northern Colorado also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Colorado is $14,403 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#21 in overall quality

Lewis - Clark State College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lewis - Clark State College is a small public school situated in Lewiston, Idaho. It awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis - Clark State College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lewis - Clark State College is $10,825 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lewis - Clark State College

#12 in overall quality

Weber State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Ogden, Utah, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

WSU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Weber State University is $12,819 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#16 in overall quality

The University of Montana - Western ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Dillon, Montana, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Montana Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Montana - Western is $14,264 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Montana Western Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho
#10 in overall quality

University of Idaho came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Idaho is located in Moscow, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Idaho is $13,528 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full U of I Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12

Utah State University

Logan, Utah
#14 in overall quality

Utah State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. USU is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 27 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

USU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Utah State University is $13,297 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#13 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Pueblo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Pueblo, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Colorado State University - Pueblo has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State University - Pueblo is $15,799 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Colorado State University - Pueblo Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#9 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. MSU Denver is a fairly large public school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 122 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Denver did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University of Denver is $13,849 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at MSU Denver

#15

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#7 in overall quality

Western Colorado University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Gunnison, Colorado, this small public school awarded 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Colorado University is $15,866 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#16

Adams State University

Alamosa, Colorado
#19 in overall quality

Adams State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Alamosa, Colorado, this small public school handed out 50 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Adams State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Adams State is $14,424 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#17

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#11 in overall quality

Boise State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Boise, Idaho, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Boise State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State University is $16,073 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#18

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah
#22 in overall quality

Southern Utah University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Cedar City, Utah, this fairly large public school awarded 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Southern Utah University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $13,991 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Utah University.

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

#19

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#17 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Grand Junction, Colorado, this medium-sized public school handed out 131 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mesa University is $15,136 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Colorado Mesa

#20

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#20 in overall quality

Fort Lewis College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. FLC is a small public school situated in Durango, Colorado. It awarded 72 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FLC, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fort Lewis College is $15,040 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#21

Rocky Mountain College

Billings, Montana
#15 in overall quality

Rocky Mountain College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Billings, Montana 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 17 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Rocky has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rocky is $17,151 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Rocky Mountain College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Johnson & Wales University - Denver did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. JWU Denver is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, JWU Denver has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $25,331 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johnson & Wales University - Denver.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Johnson & Wales University - Denver 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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