2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 9,155 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 281 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 Master’s” 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. 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 Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree parks & rec students.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
Out of the 281 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school awarded 143 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at American Military University are $7,050, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Military University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Western States. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s. Portland, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
Western States Chiropractic College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Western States Chiropractic College are $9,600.
Out of the 281 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 257 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
Concordia University, Chicago also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Chicago are $9,378, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Chicago
Out of the 281 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 452 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Concordia University, Irvine also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Irvine are $8,121, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 9 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brigham Young University - Provo are $7,510.
Full BYU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 41 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Minnesota State University - Mankato are $8,788.
With a ranking of #7, Concordia University, Saint Paul did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. Concordia University, Saint Paul is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Saint Paul are $8,550.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Saint Paul
With a ranking of #8, Lindenwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 23 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Lindenwood University are $9,550.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lindenwood University
University of Mary landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking. University of Mary is a small school located in Bismarck, North Dakota that handed out 15 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UMary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMary are $17,861, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Mary
Canisius College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking. Canisius is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 70 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Canisius, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Canisius College are $15,870, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Canisius Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Liberty University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 176 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Liberty University are $8,349, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Liberty University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Cumberland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CU are $7,020, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Cumberland University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Grace College and Theological Seminary landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking. Located in Winona Lake, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Grace College and Theological Seminary are $7,872, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grace College
Illinois State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 78 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State University are $11,069, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Illinois State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Grand View University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Grand View University are $9,170, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Grand View University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Plymouth State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #16. Plymouth, New Hampshire is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Plymouth State also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Plymouth State University are $14,550, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Plymouth State University
With a ranking of #17, Seattle University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. Seattle University is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Seattle U also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Seattle U are $14,040, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Seattle University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Citadel Military College of South Carolina did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this small public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, The Citadel is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The Citadel are $18,540.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The Citadel
With a ranking of #19, Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. Xavier University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 28 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Xavier is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Xavier University are $12,076, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Xavier University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
MSU Texas ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. MSU Texas is a medium-sized public school situated in Wichita Falls, Texas. It awarded 29 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at MSU Texas are $7,935, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at MSU Texas
Western Illinois University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 74 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at WIU are $11,996, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Illinois University
Valparaiso University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking. Valparaiso, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Valpo are $12,220, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Valparaiso University
With a ranking of #23, California University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. California, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 248 students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Cal U also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal U are $18,508, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal U
Western Kentucky University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s ranking. Bowling Green, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, WKU is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Western Kentucky University are $18,340, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Kentucky University
With a ranking of #25, Concordia University, Nebraska did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Seward, Nebraska, and it awarded 14 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Nebraska are $8,650, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Nebraska
Rest of the Best 43 in Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s
Not only did these schools make the top 43 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
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