2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies was ranked #15 in the country. In fact 73,813 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
The Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 97 schools in the Great Lakes 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, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks and rec majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 15% Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found University of Michigan - Ann Arbor to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a very large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of Platteville, UW - Platteville is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a fairly large public school located in the city of Bloomington.
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Out of the 97 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the # 5 spot on the list. UW - La Crosse is a large public school located in the city of La Crosse.
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Wilmington College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Wilmington, Wilmington College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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University of Dayton ranked #7 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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With a ranking of #8, Franklin College did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Franklin College of Indiana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Franklin.
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University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a very large student population.
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Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus Report
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Xavier University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Xavier is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Cincinnati.
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Baldwin Wallace University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Baldwin Wallace College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Berea.
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With a ranking of #13, Otterbein University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Westerville, Otterbein is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Otterbein University Report
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Miami University - Oxford ranked #14 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public college with a large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Miami University - Oxford Report
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Here are some additional great schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Grace College and Theological Seminary | Winona Lake, IN |
| 16 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
| 17 | John Carroll University | University Heights, OH |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
| 19 | North Park University | Chicago, IL |
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 1,818 |
| Michigan | 2,279 |
| Ohio | 2,647 |
| Illinois | 2,396 |
| Wisconsin | 1,001 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Parks & Rec
Parks & Rec Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 67,146 |
| Recreation Administration | 3,122 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 3,106 |
| Outdoor Education | 265 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 174 |
Majors Similar to Parks & Rec
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting | 142,610 |
| Public Administration & Social Service | 98,583 |
| Legal Professions | 61,055 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 4,477 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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