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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Minnesota

18 Ranked Colleges
889 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Minnesota

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 Minnesota” 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 Minnesota, there were 1,085 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,884 and $24,327 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 889 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,526 and $26,035 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Minnesota” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

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

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Minnesota

#1

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Winona State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 107 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Winona State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $17,656 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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%.

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

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 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 #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $16,221 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Minnesota State Mankato

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. It costs about $17,740 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.

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

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Marshall, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Southwest Minnesota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $17,067 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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 UMN Duluth

#12 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Moorhead landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota ranking. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

MSU Moorhead also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. It costs about $16,893 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Minnesota State University - Moorhead.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full MSU Moorhead Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota list. St. Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” list. The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Full Saint Cloud State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#10 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Crookston, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UMN Crookston also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Crookston is $10,952 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UMN Crookston

#9

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota
#17 in overall quality

Bemidji State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota ranking. Bemidji State University is a small school located in Bemidji, Minnesota that handed out 30 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Bemidji State University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. It costs about $15,868 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Bemidji State University.

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

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota list. UMN Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Morris also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $11,412 for Minnesota 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 University of Minnesota - Morris Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

Concordia University, Saint Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

Concordia University, Saint Paul came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Saint Paul, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Saint Paul is $16,245 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Saint Paul

#12

University of Northwestern - St Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Northwestern - St Paul did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota list. Saint Paul, Minnesota 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 20 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $21,871 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Northwestern - St Paul

#13

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, St Catherine University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, St. Kate’s has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St Catherine University is $19,078 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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 St. Kate’s

#14

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

Bethel University Minnesota ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” list. It costs about $25,191 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, 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 85%.

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

#15

Augsburg University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Augsburg University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Augsburg has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augsburg is $24,653 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#16

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

Concordia College at Moorhead landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota ranking. Concordia College at Moorhead is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 9 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia College Moorhead also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia College Moorhead is $23,029 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Concordia College Moorhead

#17

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#16 in overall quality

Hamline University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota ranking. Hamline University is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hamline, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hamline University is $20,866 for Minnesota 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%.

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

#18

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

St Olaf College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota ranking. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St Olaf College is $23,543 for minnesota bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

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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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