2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned a degree or certificate in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the #15 most popular in the United States.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.
The Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 557 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for parks and rec students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for a Bachelor's in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness
Our analysis found American Public University System to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at American Military University are $7,360 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, American Military University is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Brigham Young University - Provo helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the United States. Located in the city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU are $6,120 a year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the distant town of Rexburg, BYU - I is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU - I are $4,416 per year.
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Out of the 557 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Dickinson State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. DSU is a small public school located in the town of Dickinson.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DSU are $9,942 per year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wayne State College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. WSC is a small public school located in the town of Wayne.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WSC are $7,458 per year.
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With a ranking of #6, Chadron State College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Chadron State College is a small public school located in the remote town of Chadron.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Chadron State College are $7,206 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Chadron State College also is in the top 20% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.
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With a ranking of #7, Oklahoma Panhandle State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. OPSU is a small public school located in the rural area of Goodwell.
OPSU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,234 in tuition and fees each year.
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Minot State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Minot, MSU is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU are $8,163 per year.
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South Dakota State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Dakota State are $12,809 a year.
South Dakota State also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Pembroke.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UNC Pembroke are $7,495 a year.
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With a ranking of #11, Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Marshall.
Southwest Minnesota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,482 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Southwest Minnesota State University also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Northwestern Oklahoma State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. NWOSU is a small public school located in the town of Alva.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NWOSU are $15,001 a year.
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With a ranking of #13, West Texas A&M University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the town of Canyon, West Texas A&M University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 a year.
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Johnson & Wales University - Online landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the midsize city of Providence, JWU Online is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
JWU Online undergraduate students pay an average of $13,365 in tuition and fees each year.
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University of North Dakota did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the small city of Grand Forks, UND is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UND are $15,037 a year.
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Western Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the distant town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public school with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCU are $8,367 per year.
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Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASU - Skysong are $13,092 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Skysong also is in the top 10% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.
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Northern State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list. NSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Aberdeen.
NSU undergraduate students pay an average of $11,947 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, NSU is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
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With a ranking of #20, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. North Dakota State University is a large public school located in the city of Fargo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Dakota State University are $14,876 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, North Dakota State University is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
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Saint Cloud State University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at St. Cloud State University are $18,010 a year.
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University of Florida-Online came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. UF Online is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Gainesville.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UF Online are $16,579 per year.
UF Online also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Winona State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Winona State are $16,684 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Winona State also is in the top 15% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Winona State University Report
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University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Platteville, UW - Platteville is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Platteville are $16,483 per year.
UW - Platteville excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the distant town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SRU are $14,615 a year.
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Remaining Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 557 different United States parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies by Region
View the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings
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.
- 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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