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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana

14 Colleges
$31,288 Avg Salary
$25,237 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #16 most popular major in Indiana with 1,818 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

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 Indiana ranking. This report analyzed 14 schools in Indiana to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Indiana

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

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Indiana University - Bloomington the best school in Indiana for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public college with a very large student population.

Parks & Rec majors at IU Bloomington take out an average of $20,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $437.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington Report

Out of the 14 schools in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Grace College and Theological Seminary landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Winona Lake, Grace College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Grace College take out is $25,750.

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#3

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Valparaiso University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list. Located in the suburb of Valparaiso, Valpo is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Valpo accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

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

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list. Purdue is a very large public school located in the small city of West Lafayette.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Purdue carry an average student debtload of $19,667. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $353.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus Report

#5

University of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Indianapolis. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list. UIndy is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Indianapolis.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UIndy carry an average student debtload of $26,631. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $379, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#6

Trine University

Angola, IN

Trine 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. Located in the town of Angola, Trine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Trine take out is $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $260.

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

#7

Hanover College

Hanover, IN

Hanover College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana ranking. Hanover is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Hanover.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Hanover take out is $27,000.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Hanover College Report

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. USI is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Evansville.

Parks & Rec majors at USI take out an average of $23,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $169.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Southern Indiana

#9

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

Ball State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana ranking. Ball State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Muncie.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Ball State take out is $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $344.

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

With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. IUPUI is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at IUPUI take out is $24,703. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $107.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Report

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,279
Ohio 2,647
Illinois 2,396
Wisconsin 1,001

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 14 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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