2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 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.
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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 80 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks and rec majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 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. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from U-M carry an average student debtload of $17,507. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $531.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at IU Bloomington take out is $20,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $437, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington Report
The excellent programs at Wilmington College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the distant town of Wilmington, Wilmington College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Parks & Rec majors at Wilmington College take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $502.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Dayton. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UDayton accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Dayton
Out of the 80 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $20,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $307.
Illinois State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Illinois State take out $23,124 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $230.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UW - Madison take out is $25,787.
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UW - La Crosse is a large public school located in the city of La Crosse.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UW - La Crosse carry an average student debtload of $24,483. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $183.
With a ranking of #9, Baldwin Wallace University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Baldwin Wallace College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Berea.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Baldwin Wallace College take out is $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $345.
Grace College and Theological Seminary came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grace College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Winona Lake.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Grace College accumulate an average of around $25,750 in student debt.
Otterbein University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Westerville, Otterbein is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Parks & Rec majors at Otterbein take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Otterbein University
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Ohio State carry an average student debtload of $24,408. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $376.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Xavier University | Cincinnati, OH |
| 14 | John Carroll University | University Heights, OH |
| 15 | Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, IN |
| 16 | Miami University - Oxford | Oxford, OH |
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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