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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid

22 Ranked Colleges
2,272 Degrees Awarded
$14,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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 the Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,643 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,100 and $19,813 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,272 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Utah Valley University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Orem, Utah, this large public school awarded 114 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UVU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UVU is $9,159 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU - I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $7,167 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid. BYU is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 258 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,322 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#4

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. U of U is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 279 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U of U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $14,773 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend University of Utah.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#5

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

UW also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $12,159 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend UW.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#12 in overall quality

Weber State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. WSU is located in Ogden, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

WSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Weber State University is $11,968 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#16 in overall quality

The University of Montana - Western ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Montana - Western is a public institution located in Dillon, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Montana Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Montana - Western is $13,929 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Montana - Western

#1 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Fort Collins, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 335 students in 2019-2020.

Colorado State 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 Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State is $18,668 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Colorado State University - Fort Collins

#9 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 122 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Denver did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University of Denver is $14,257 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Full Metropolitan State University of Denver Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#10

University of Northern Colorado

Greeley, Colorado
#5 in overall quality

University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Greeley, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 162 students in 2019-2020.

University of Northern Colorado also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Colorado is $15,714 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Full University of Northern Colorado Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Lewis - Clark State College

Lewiston, Idaho
#21 in overall quality

Lewis - Clark State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Lewis - Clark State College is a small public school situated in Lewiston, Idaho. It awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis - Clark State College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis - Clark State College is $11,046 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Full Lewis - Clark State College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Colorado State University - Pueblo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. Colorado State University - Pueblo is a public institution located in Pueblo, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado State University - Pueblo also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State University - Pueblo is $14,653 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Colorado State University - Pueblo

#13

Utah State University

Logan, Utah
#14 in overall quality

Utah State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. Logan, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,634 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend USU.

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

#14

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#11 in overall quality

Boise State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Boise, Idaho, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Boise State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $15,787 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Boise State University.

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

#15

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho
#10 in overall quality

University of Idaho did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Moscow, Idaho, this fairly large public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $14,132 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend U of I.

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

#16

Adams State University

Alamosa, Colorado
#19 in overall quality

Adams State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Adams State University is a small public school situated in Alamosa, Colorado. It awarded 50 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Adams State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Adams State University is $14,064 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#17

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#7 in overall quality

Western Colorado University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Colorado University is located in Gunnison, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Western has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western is $17,282 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#18

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#17 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Colorado Mesa is located in Grand Junction, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 131 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Colorado Mesa also took the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mesa is $15,569 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#19

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah
#22 in overall quality

Southern Utah University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cedar City, Utah is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

Southern Utah University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $14,285 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Southern Utah University.

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

#20

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#20 in overall quality

Fort Lewis College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. FLC is a small public school situated in Durango, Colorado. It awarded 72 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

FLC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $16,274 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend FLC.

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

#21

Rocky Mountain College

Billings, Montana
#15 in overall quality

Rocky Mountain College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rocky is a private not-for-profit institution located in Billings, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rocky not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $18,747 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Rocky Mountain College.

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

#4 in overall quality

Johnson & Wales University - Denver ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. Johnson & Wales University - Denver is a small school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

JWU Denver also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for JWU Denver is $26,221 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Johnson & Wales University - Denver

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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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