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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Ohio (With Aid)

34 Ranked Colleges
1,993 Degrees Awarded
$20,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Ohio For Those Getting Aid

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 for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid” 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 Ohio, there were 2,643 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,488 and $26,132 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,993 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,281 and $26,151 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 34 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Ohio (With Aid)

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 171 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. It costs about $17,616 for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#2

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Youngstown State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid. Youngstown State University is a public institution located in Youngstown, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Youngstown State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. It costs about $11,947 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Youngstown State University.

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

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 138 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

BGSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $18,394 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 36 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kent State University at Kent. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 159 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Kent State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. It costs about $18,885 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Kent State University at Kent.

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

#6

Mount St. Joseph University

Cincinnati, Ohio
#20 in overall quality

Mount St. Joseph University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount St. Joe, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount St. Joseph University is $21,913 for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mount St. Joseph University

#7

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio

Shawnee State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Portsmouth, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,320 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Shawnee State University.

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

#8

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,278 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Cleveland State University.

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

#9

Otterbein University

Westerville, Ohio
#6 in overall quality

Otterbein University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Otterbein is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Westerville, Ohio. It awarded 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Otterbein has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Otterbein is $23,386 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid list. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Akron Main Campus

#3 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 286 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,323 for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Miami University - Oxford Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio
#25 in overall quality

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. University of Toledo is a fairly large public school situated in Toledo, Ohio. It awarded 86 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Toledo is $17,630 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#13

Muskingum University

New Concord, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

Muskingum University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Muskingum University is located in New Concord, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Muskingum also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $20,157 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Muskingum.

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

#14

Ohio Dominican University

Columbus, Ohio
#21 in overall quality

Ohio Dominican University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

ODU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. The estimated yearly cost for ODU is $19,960 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#15

Bluffton University

Bluffton, Ohio
#15 in overall quality

Bluffton University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Bluffton, Ohio, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Bluffton also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bluffton is $26,069 for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#16

Wittenberg University

Springfield, Ohio
#14 in overall quality

Wittenberg University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wittenberg is a small school located in Springfield, Ohio that handed out 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Wittenberg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. It costs about $22,886 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Wittenberg.

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

#17

Wilmington College

Wilmington, Ohio
#16 in overall quality

Wilmington College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wilmington College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wilmington, Ohio. It awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wilmington College, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wilmington College is $21,216 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#8 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. OHIO Athens is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 136 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

OHIO Athens also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $22,906 for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19

Malone University

Canton, Ohio

Malone University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Malone is a private not-for-profit institution located in Canton, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,897 for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Malone University.

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

#20

Heidelberg University

Tiffin, Ohio
#18 in overall quality

Heidelberg University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Heidelburg College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tiffin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Heidelburg College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. The yearly cost to attend Heidelberg University is $20,893 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#13 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#7 in overall quality

Baldwin Wallace University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Berea, Ohio, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Baldwin Wallace College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Baldwin Wallace College is $22,917 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Baldwin Wallace College

#23

Ashland University

Ashland, Ohio
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Ashland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid list. Ashland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Ashland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” list. The yearly cost to attend Ashland is $20,111 for ohio bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#5 in overall quality

Ohio Northern University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ada, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ONU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Ohio” ranking. It costs about $24,072 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend ONU.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 ONU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#25

Capital University

Columbus, Ohio

Capital University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Ohio For Those Getting Aid list. Capital is a small school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 13 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Capital University is $22,642 for Ohio Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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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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