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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

24 Colleges
$41,687 Avg Salary

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.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 24 schools in the Plains States Region to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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 Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Colleges.

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

Our analysis found South Dakota State University to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the Plains States Region . Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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

#2

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN

Out of the 24 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Cloud State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public school located in the city of Minneapolis.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Report

The excellent master’s degree programs at Concordia University, Nebraska helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Plains States Region . Concordia University, Nebraska is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Seward.

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The excellent master’s degree programs at Iowa State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa ranked #6 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the city of Iowa City.

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

Minot State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Minot, MSU is a public college with a small student population.

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

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #9 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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

#10

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

With a ranking of #10, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. UNI is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Northern Iowa Report

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 710
Minnesota 1,139
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 24 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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