2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the #169 most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in the Plains States Region to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks and rec majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Winona State University to be the best school for parks, recreation and leisure studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Plains States Region . Winona State is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Winona.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Northwest Missouri State University is a great place for parks, recreation and leisure studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Northwest is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Maryville.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Mizzou is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Columbia.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec majors at Mizzou accumulate an average of around $22,468 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $277.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Northern Iowa helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec graduates from UNI carry an average student debtload of $22,350.
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Out of the 14 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public college with a very large student population.
This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $517, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #6 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. UNOMAHA is a large public school located in the city of Omaha.
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University of Nebraska at Kearney came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the town of Kearney, UNK is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, parks and rec graduates from UNK take out $18,511 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $133, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #8, Pittsburg State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the distant town of Pittsburg, Pitt State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
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University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation and leisure studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec graduates from UMN Twin Cities carry an average student debtload of $21,912.
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Lindenwood University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation and leisure studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Saint Charles.
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Request InformationBest Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation and leisure studies colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 175 |
| Minnesota | 64 |
| Kansas | 25 |
| Iowa | 113 |
| Nebraska | 63 |
| North Dakota | 0 |
| South Dakota | 0 |
More Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Rankings in the Plains States Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Related Rankings by Major
One of 4 majors within the area of study, parks, recreation and leisure studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to Parks & Rec
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 67,146 |
| Recreation Administration | 3,122 |
| Outdoor Education | 265 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 174 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 14 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.