2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 14 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for parks and rec students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Northwest Missouri State University to be the best value school for parks, recreation and leisure studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Plains States Region . Northwest is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Maryville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Northwest are $14,919 a year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Winona.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Winona State are $16,684 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Winona State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Nebraska at Kearney. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the distant town of Kearney, UNK is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
UNK undergraduate students pay an average of $15,320 in tuition and fees each year. 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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Out of the 14 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
UNI undergraduate students pay an average of $19,753 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec graduates from UNI carry an average student debtload of $22,350.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNI also is in the top 15% of our Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Northern Iowa Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Emporia State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. ESU is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Emporia.
ESU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,918 in tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southeast Missouri State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Southeast Missouri State University is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Cape Girardeau.
Southeast Missouri State University undergraduate students pay an average of $15,285 in tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at Southeast Missouri State University take out an average of $22,659 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Pittsburg State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. Located in the distant town of Pittsburg, Pitt State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Pitt State undergraduate students pay an average of $19,088 in tuition and fees each year.
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University of Nebraska at Omaha 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 #8 on the list. UNOMAHA is a large public school located in the large city of Omaha.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNOMAHA are $21,718 per year.
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Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Missouri State is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Missouri State are $16,498 a year.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Missouri State University - Springfield Report
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Lindenwood University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Lindenwood University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Charles.
Lindenwood University undergraduate students pay an average of $18,640 in tuition and fees each year.
Request InformationBest Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools 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 Majors for Parks & Rec
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.
- 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.