2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 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.
The Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in the Plains States Region to see which programs offered the best value experiences for parks and rec students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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 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 degree in the Plains States Region . Northwest is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Maryville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Northwest are $14,919 a year.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Northwest Missouri State University Report
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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 Schools in the Plains States Region list. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Winona.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Winona State are $16,684 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Winona State carry an average student debtload of $25,447.
In addition to its great value ranking, Winona State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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Out of the 14 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the distant town of Kearney, UNK is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNK are $15,320 per year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UNK accumulate an average of around $18,594 in student debt. 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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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Pittsburg State University is a great value for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. Located in the town of Pittsburg, Pitt State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Pitt State are $19,088 a year.
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The excellent programs at University of Northern Iowa helped the school earn the #5 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 medium-sized student population.
UNI undergraduate students pay an average of $19,753 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UNI carry an average student debtload of $23,469.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UNI also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Emporia State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. ESU is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Emporia.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ESU are $14,918 per year.
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Southeast Missouri State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Cape Girardeau.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southeast Missouri State University are $15,285 a year. Parks & Rec majors at Southeast Missouri State University take out an average of $18,821 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. UNOMAHA is a fairly 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.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha Report
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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 Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Missouri State is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Missouri State are $16,498 per year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Missouri State accumulate an average of around $25,316 in student debt.
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Lindenwood University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Lindenwood University is a medium-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.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Lindenwood University Report
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 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.
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