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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana

20 Ranked Colleges
1,598 Degrees Awarded
$18,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Indiana

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Indiana” 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 Indiana, there were 1,936 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,100 and $24,009 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,598 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,620 and $24,786 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana” ranking analyzed 20 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.

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.

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 Indiana” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Indiana

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Indiana

#1

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #1 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 528 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

#2

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 88 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #3 spot on the list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 124 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

IUPUI also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $11,285 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#4

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Ball State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” list. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $15,147 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#5

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern Indiana landed the #5 spot on the list. USI is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 88 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, USI has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USI is $13,437 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Full University of Southern Indiana Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#6

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

Indiana State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana list. Indiana State is a fairly large school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 125 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Indiana State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” list. It costs about $13,896 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Indiana State University.

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

#11 in overall quality

Grace College and Theological Seminary came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana ranking. Winona Lake, Indiana 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 24 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grace College, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grace College is $20,820 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grace College and Theological Seminary

#16 in overall quality

Indiana Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana ranking, coming in at #8. Indiana Wesleyan University is located in Marion, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IWU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana Wesleyan University is $20,946 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#9

Huntington University

Huntington, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

Huntington University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana list. Huntington University is located in Huntington, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Huntington, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Huntington University is $22,869 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#10

Franklin College

Franklin, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Franklin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana list. Franklin College of Indiana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Franklin, Indiana. It awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Franklin College of Indiana also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Franklin College of Indiana is $21,838 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#11

Oakland City University

Oakland City, Indiana
#20 in overall quality

Oakland City University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana list. Oakland City University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland City, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland City, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland City is $11,894 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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 Oakland City

#12

Trine University

Angola, Indiana
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Trine University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana list. Trine University is a small school located in Angola, Indiana that handed out 80 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Trine also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Trine is $23,202 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Trine University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

University of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana
#14 in overall quality

University of Indianapolis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 94 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UIndy also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $20,512 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend University of Indianapolis.

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

#14

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana
#13 in overall quality

Manchester University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana list. Manchester University is a small school located in North Manchester, Indiana that handed out 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Manchester University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $17,557 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Manchester University.

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

#15

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

Taylor University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana ranking. Taylor U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Upland, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Taylor U has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Taylor University is $25,888 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 89%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Taylor U

#16

University of Evansville

Evansville, Indiana
#9 in overall quality

University of Evansville landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana ranking. University of Evansville is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” list. The yearly cost to attend UE is $21,626 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 87%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

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

#17

Hanover College

Hanover, Indiana
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Hanover College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana list. Located in Hanover, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Hanover has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hanover College is $20,952 for indiana bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#18

Marian University

Indianapolis, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Marian University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana ranking. Marian University is a small school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 30 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Marian also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $19,658 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Marian.

Full Marian University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

Valparaiso University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana ranking. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Valpo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” list. The estimated yearly cost for Valparaiso University is $18,852 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Valpo Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#20

DePauw University

Greencastle, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

DePauw University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Indiana ranking. DePauw University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greencastle, Indiana. It awarded 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePauw, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw University is $23,078 for Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

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

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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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