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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in Minnesota

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in Minnesota

18 Colleges
$28,979 Avg Salary
$24,973 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,139 degrees and certificates were awarded to parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who went to a Minnesota college or university. This makes it the #15 most popular major in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in Minnesota ranking. This report analyzed 18 schools in Minnesota to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota

Check out the parks and rec bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools

#1

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN

Our analysis found Saint Cloud State University to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Minnesota. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public college with a large student population.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saint Cloud State University

#2

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, MN

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Bethel University Minnesota is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Saint Paul.

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#3

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, MN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gustavus Adolphus College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota list. Gustavus Adolphus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Saint Peter.

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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Winona State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Minnesota. Located in the distant town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Winona State University

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Minnesota State University - Mankato is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public school with a large student population.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#6

St Olaf College

Northfield, MN

St Olaf College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the town of Northfield, St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St Olaf College

With a ranking of #7, Minnesota State University - Moorhead 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 medium-sized suburb of Moorhead, MSU Moorhead is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Minnesota State University - Moorhead Report

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis.

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Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Southwest Minnesota State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Marshall.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southwest Minnesota State University Report

#10

Augsburg University

Minneapolis, MN

Augsburg University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota ranking. Augsburg is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Minneapolis.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Augsburg University Report

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 710
Iowa 1,491
South Dakota 342
Missouri 1,342
Nebraska 429
North Dakota 266

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

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 18 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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