Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

16 Ranked Colleges
1,572 Degrees Awarded
$21,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Iowa, there were 1,572 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,615 and $25,199 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 16 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 in Iowa 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa parks & rec students with aid.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Iowa (With Aid)

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 247 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $15,496 for iowa parks & rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 students.

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

#2

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 697 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa parks & rec students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,145 for Iowa Parks & Rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. UNI is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 139 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our iowa parks & rec students with aid list, UNI has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $15,620 for Iowa Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend UNI.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#4

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Buena Vista University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Storm Lake, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BVU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for BVU is $17,544 for iowa parks & rec students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

#5

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Simpson College landed the #5 spot on the list. Simpson College is a small school located in Indianola, Iowa that handed out 25 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Simpson College also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Simpson College is $19,151 for Iowa Parks & Rec students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

With a ranking of #6, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 24 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Graceland University - Lamoni is $17,650 for Iowa Parks & Rec students with aid.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Graceland University - Lamoni

#7

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

With a ranking of #7, Coe College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Coe is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa parks & rec students with aid list, Coe has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Coe College is $19,955 for iowa parks & rec students with aid.

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 Coe College

#8

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Grand View University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand View University is $19,826 for iowa parks & rec students with aid.

Full Grand View University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#9

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa

Loras College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 33 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa parks & rec students with aid list, Loras has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $20,676 for Iowa Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Loras.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#10

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Northwestern College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. NWC is located in Orange City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

NWC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern College is $22,968 for iowa parks & rec students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#11

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

Cornell College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cornell College is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Cornell College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $26,901 for iowa parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Cornell College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#12

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Waverly, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa parks & rec students with aid list, Wartburg has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $21,787 for Iowa Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Wartburg College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#13

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Upper Iowa University is located in Fayette, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend UIU is $21,624 for iowa parks & rec students with aid.

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

#14

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Dordt also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $25,102 for iowa parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Dordt.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

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

#15

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

Saint Ambrose University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. St. Ambrose University is located in Davenport, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Ambrose University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Ambrose University is $26,204 for Iowa Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#16

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

With a ranking of #16, University of Dubuque did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dubuque, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $26,748 for Iowa Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend UD.

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

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Athletic Training Schools

Find Schools Near You