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2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

515 Ranked Colleges
73,813 Degrees Awarded
$14,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 515 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

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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 Those Making $75-$110k”.

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. 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 For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k)

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 306 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $12,874 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 326 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $17,207 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at U-M

3
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mt. San Antonio College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Mt. San Antonio College is located in Walnut, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 521 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Mt. San Antonio College is $7,351 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mt. SAC

4

Out of the 515 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #4 spot on the list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 71 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,916 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Columbia.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

5
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 62 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $15,686 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

6

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 339 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,011 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Los Angeles

7
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #7, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $10,311 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

8

With a ranking of #8, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. BYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 267 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, BYU is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $15,777 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo

9

Florida International University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 274 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, FIU also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $12,817 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Florida International University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

10
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 303 students in 2020-2021.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $17,630 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

11
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #11, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 643 students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $20,234 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington

12

The University of West Florida landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 147 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $11,870 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of West Florida

13

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 323 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,789 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, 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 87%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Fresno

14

California State University - Fullerton ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 581 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $12,977 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Fullerton

15

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 401 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,088 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

16

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 313 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,425 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UT Austin.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

17
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 219 students in 2020-2021.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $15,203 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

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

18

Iowa State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 251 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa State is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $17,806 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

19
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #19, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 382 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, U of U is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $15,746 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Utah.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

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

20
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

With a ranking of #20, University of Delaware did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. UD is a large school located in Newark, Delaware that handed out 188 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Delaware is $22,093 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad 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 UD

20

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 394 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $11,268 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

22

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 491 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, CSULB is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $15,101 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Long Beach Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 265 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UNLV also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $15,316 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

23
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 86 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $9,771 for parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

25

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 163 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $11,085 for Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
27
28
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas
29
30
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois
31
32
33
34
35
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
36
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
37
38
39
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
40
41
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
42
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas
43
44
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
45
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
46
47
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana
48
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
49
Post University crest
Post University
Waterbury, Connecticut
50
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Parks & Rec Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
52 Minot State University Minot, ND
53 William Carey University Hattiesburg, MS
54 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
55 Augusta University Augusta, GA
56 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
57 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
58 Lehman College Bronx, NY
58 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
60 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
61 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
62 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
63 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
64 SUNY Cortland Cortland, NY
65 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
Rank College Location
66 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
67 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
68 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
69 Emory University Atlanta, GA
70 Texas A&M International University Laredo, TX
71 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
72 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
73 Winona State University Winona, MN
74 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
75 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
76 Ball State University Muncie, IN
77 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
78 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA

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