2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master'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.
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 Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 48 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs 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 Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Check out the parks and rec master'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 Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.
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The excellent master’s degree programs at Northwestern University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwestern University Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the distant town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
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Out of the 48 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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The excellent master’s degree programs at Grace College and Theological Seminary helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Grace College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Winona Lake.
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Valparaiso University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Valpo is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Valparaiso.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Valparaiso University Report
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With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public school with a very large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report
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Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the distant town of Athens, OHIO Athens is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio University - Athens Campus Report
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Ashland University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the fringe town of Ashland, Ashland is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. IU Bloomington is a very large public school located in the small city of Bloomington.
Request InformationBest 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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