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

68 Ranked Colleges
7,822 Degrees Awarded
$29,529 Avg Salary
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest 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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Southwest region, there were 9,967 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,090 and $22,308 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,822 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 68 colleges that offered a degree 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. 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 the Southwest Region 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Rice University is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Rice also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $7,318 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a 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 Rice University

#21 in overall quality

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #2 spot on the list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 305 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley 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 Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $6,405 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Rio Grande Valley

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 247 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $15,757 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 97%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Austin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M International University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Texas A&M International University is located in Laredo, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $3,809 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M International University

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UTSA is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 355 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio is $13,827 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#7 in overall quality

Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northwestern Oklahoma State University is located in Alva, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, NWOSU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern Oklahoma State University is $9,945 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#17 in overall quality

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is located in Odessa, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, UT Permian Basin has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,417 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

#8

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas State University is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 551 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $14,250 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 126 students in 2019-2020.

TWU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TWU is $9,629 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#10

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#4 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Texas A&M University - College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 453 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $18,810 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#9 in overall quality

University of Houston landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 439 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UH 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 Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $12,505 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 Houston

#12

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#5 in overall quality

Texas Tech University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Texas Tech is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 349 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $17,421 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas Tech University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#10 in overall quality

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. UNT is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 308 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNT is $15,377 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of North Texas Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Durant, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,796 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#8 in overall quality

University of Houston - Clear Lake ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake is $9,886 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UH Clear Lake

#18 in overall quality

Stephen F Austin State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stephen F Austin State University is located in Nacogdoches, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 146 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

SFASU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFASU is $13,644 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Stephen F Austin State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#23 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Tyler is located in Tyler, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Tyler, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,037 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Tyler.

Full UT Tyler Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#18

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. MSU Texas is a medium-sized public school situated in Wichita Falls, Texas. It awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $10,068 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full MSU Texas Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

With a ranking of #19, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 169 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $10,786 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full The University of Texas at El Paso Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Arlington is located in Arlington, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 235 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UT Arlington also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $14,622 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full The University of Texas at Arlington Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#21

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. East Central University is a small school located in Ada, Oklahoma that handed out 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Central University is $13,316 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#22

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#16 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SHSU is a large public school situated in Huntsville, Texas. It awarded 141 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SHSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SHSU is $14,832 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#23

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Northeastern State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It awarded 69 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern State University is $11,683 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Southwestern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Weatherford, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwestern Oklahoma State University is $15,091 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#25

Cameron University

Lawton, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #25, Cameron University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Lawton, Oklahoma, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cameron University is $10,325 for southwest region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Cameron University 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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