2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Iowa
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is one of the most popular subjects to study in Iowa. With 1,491 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 8th out of all the majors we track in the state.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
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 Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 14 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Iowa
The following schools top our list of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our analysis found Simpson College to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Indianola.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Simpson College accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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Out of the 14 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Mount Vernon.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Cornell College take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northwestern College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Iowa list. NWC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Orange City.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at NWC take out is $27,000.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Iowa State take out is $26,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $215, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Loras College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Iowa list. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dubuque.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Loras take out is $27,000.
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With a ranking of #6, University of Iowa did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the city of Iowa City.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Iowa take out $23,417 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $409, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #7, Wartburg College did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Wartburg is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Waverly.
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University of Northern Iowa ranked #8 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Iowa list. UNI is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.
On average, parks and rec graduates from UNI take out $23,610 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $185.
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Buena Vista University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. BVU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Storm Lake.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at BVU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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Saint Ambrose University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Iowa list. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Davenport.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from St. Ambrose University carry an average student debtload of $26,373. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $282.
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Request InformationBest Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Kansas | 710 |
| Minnesota | 1,139 |
| South Dakota | 342 |
| Missouri | 1,342 |
| Nebraska | 429 |
| North Dakota | 266 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Iowa
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related 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 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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