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.
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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 2023 rankings named University of Michigan - Ann Arbor the best school in the Great Lakes Region for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a very large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #3 on this year’s 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.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Indiana University - Bloomington is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. IU Bloomington is a fairly large public school located in the city of Bloomington.
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 fairly large public school located in the small city of La Crosse.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Report
Wilmington College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the town of Wilmington, Wilmington College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
University of Dayton 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 #7 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Franklin College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Franklin College of Indiana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Franklin.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Franklin College Report
With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Madison 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 large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus Report
With a ranking of #11, Xavier University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Xavier is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Cincinnati.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Xavier University
With a ranking of #12, Baldwin Wallace University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Baldwin Wallace College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Berea.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Baldwin Wallace University Report
Otterbein University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the suburb of Westerville, Otterbein is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Otterbein University
Miami University - Oxford 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 #14 on the list. Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Miami University - Oxford
Additional Noteworthy Schools
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 schools 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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