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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region

88 Ranked Colleges
5,005 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking.

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 Plains States region, there were 5,808 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,644 and $24,923 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,005 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 88 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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.

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Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Chadron State College

Chadron, Nebraska
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chadron State College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Chadron, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Chadron State College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,268 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Chadron State College.

Full Chadron State College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#2

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Truman State University is a small school located in Kirksville, Missouri that handed out 104 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Truman State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Truman State is $12,462 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, 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 88%.

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

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 238 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

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

#4

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, North Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dickinson State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k. This small school is located in Dickinson, North Dakota, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for DSU is $10,855 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Dickinson State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,584 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

#6

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#7

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#17 in overall quality

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #7. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

UND 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 Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $15,738 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Dakota

#8

University of Mary

Bismarck, North Dakota
#10 in overall quality

University of Mary ranked #8 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This small school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMary also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UMary is $17,410 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#9

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#13 in overall quality

South Dakota State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. South Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 50 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, South Dakota State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#11

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#11 in overall quality

Winona State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 107 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Winona State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,656 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The low 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%.

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

#12

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

University of Iowa came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 652 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, 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 88%.

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

#13

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas

Emporia State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Emporia State University is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $14,822 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

Northwest Missouri State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $12,354 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Northwest Missouri State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

With a ranking of #16, Missouri Southern State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern is $9,625 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 68 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $14,040 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha

#19 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Kearney came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Kearney, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNK, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,017 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UNK.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska at Kearney Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Southwest Minnesota State University is a public institution located in Marshall, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#20

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas

Washburn University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Topeka, Kansas, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Washburn University is $14,481 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#21

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota

Northern State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, this small public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NSU is $15,851 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#22

University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Crookston came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UMN Crookston is a public institution located in Crookston, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Crookston is $10,952 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full University of Minnesota - Crookston Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#23

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Central Missouri is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Missouri is $13,677 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full University of Central Missouri Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#24

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

Missouri Western State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Missouri Western State University is a small school located in Saint Joseph, Missouri that handed out 51 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Western State University is $10,958 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#25

Wayne State College

Wayne, Nebraska

Wayne State College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. WSC is located in Wayne, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State College is $13,765 for plains states region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Wayne State College 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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