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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k

23 Ranked Colleges
2,219 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 23 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 324 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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 in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $10,028 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 96%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at U-M

#2

Gogebic Community College

Ironwood, Michigan

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Gogebic Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Gogebic Community College is located in Ironwood, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Gogebic Community College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Gogebic Community College is $8,820 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Gogebic Community College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan Technological University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 36 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $13,720 for michigan 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%.

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

#4

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 272 students in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $15,775 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#5

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 346 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $14,591 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Central Michigan University.

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

#6

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in University Center, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 66 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Saginaw Valley State University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $14,230 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#7

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oakland also took the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $10,387 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oakland University.

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

#8

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #8, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 44 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wayne State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $13,668 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 396 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $20,696 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Michigan State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#10

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 137 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Michigan, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $16,042 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#11

Aquinas College Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Aquinas College Michigan ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Grand Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Aquinas College Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aquinas College Michigan is $17,715 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Aquinas College Michigan

#12

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

With a ranking of #12, Lake Superior State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, and it awarded 33 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lake Superior State University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $13,073 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Lake Superior State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

Hope College

Holland, Michigan

Hope College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Hope College is located in Holland, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hope, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hope College is $20,372 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hope College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#14

Northwood University

Midland, Michigan

With a ranking of #14, Northwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwood is a small school located in Midland, Michigan that handed out 26 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwood not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwood is $20,968 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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.

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

#15

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Marquette, Michigan, and it awarded 69 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northern Michigan University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Michigan University is $15,753 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#16

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

WMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $19,841 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western Michigan University.

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

#17

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, Michigan

Spring Arbor University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Spring Arbor is located in Spring Arbor, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Spring Arbor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $18,662 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Spring Arbor University.

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

#18

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Calvin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Calvin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 34 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Calvin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $23,773 for michigan 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 low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Calvin University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Cornerstone University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornerstone did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornerstone University is $19,973 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#20

Adrian College

Adrian, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Adrian College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Adrian is a small school located in Adrian, Michigan that handed out 35 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Adrian has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Adrian College is $23,750 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#21

Olivet College

Olivet, Michigan

Olivet College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $24,838 for michigan parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Olivet.

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

#22

Davenport University

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Davenport University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Davenport University is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Davenport University also took the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Davenport University is $20,172 for Michigan Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Davenport University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#23

Concordia University, Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Concordia University, Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Michigan For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $23,463 for michigan 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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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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