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.
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2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Colleges.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for a Bachelor's in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness
Our 2023 rankings named American Public University System the best value school in the United States for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at American Military University are $7,360 per year.
American Military University also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU are $6,120 per year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. The school came in at #3 on this year’s 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 very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU - I are $4,416 a year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dickinson State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. DSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Dickinson.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DSU are $9,942 per year.
Out of the 557 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Wayne State College landed the # 5 spot on the list. WSC is a small public school located in the distant town of Wayne.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WSC are $7,458 a year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wayne State College Report
Chadron State College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Chadron State College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Chadron State College
Oklahoma Panhandle 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 #7 on the list. OPSU is a small public school located in the rural area of Goodwell.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at OPSU are $8,234 a year.
Minot 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 #8 on the list. Located in the remote town of Minot, MSU is a public school with a small student population.
MSU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,163 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Minot State University Report
South Dakota State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
South Dakota State undergraduate students pay an average of $12,809 in tuition and fees each 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.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Dakota State University Report
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 moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Pembroke.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Pembroke are $7,495 per year.
Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Southwest Minnesota State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Marshall.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Minnesota State University are $9,482 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Southwest Minnesota State University also is in the top 20% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. NWOSU is a small public school located in the town of Alva.
NWOSU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,001 in tuition and fees each year.
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 fringe 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.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Texas A&M University Report
Johnson & Wales University - Online 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 #14 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Providence, JWU Online is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JWU Online are $13,365 per year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Johnson & Wales University - Online Report
University of North Dakota landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Grand Forks, UND is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UND are $15,037 per year.
With a ranking of #16, Western Carolina 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 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.
Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public school with a fairly large student population.
ASU - Skysong undergraduate students pay an average of $13,092 in tuition and fees each year.
ASU - Skysong also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong Report
With a ranking of #19, Northern 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. NSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Aberdeen.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NSU are $11,947 a year.
NSU also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
North Dakota State University - Main Campus 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 #20 on the list. North Dakota State University is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fargo.
North Dakota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,876 in tuition and fees each year.
North Dakota State University 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.
Saint Cloud 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 #21 on the list. Located in the city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at St. Cloud State University are $18,010 per year.
University of Florida-Online landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UF Online is a moderately-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 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.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Florida-Online Report
Winona State University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Winona State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,684 in tuition and fees each year.
Winona State 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.
With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - Platteville 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 Platteville, UW - Platteville is a public school with a moderately-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.
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 moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SRU are $14,615 a year.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools
Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the remainder of the colleges 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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