2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor'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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 97 schools in the Great Lakes Region 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 15% Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found University of Wisconsin - Platteville to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Great Lakes Region . 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW - Platteville is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - Platteville Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Youngstown State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Youngstown State University are $9,732 a year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Youngstown State University
Request Information
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Eastern Illinois University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
EIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,551 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Illinois University Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WIU are $13,297 per year.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Central Michigan University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Central Michigan are $13,094 a year.
Request Information
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school located in the city of La Crosse.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - La Crosse are $18,014 per year.
UW - La Crosse excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Request Information
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Stevens Point.
UW - Stevens Point undergraduate students pay an average of $17,035 in tuition and fees each year.
Request Information
Northern Illinois 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. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIU are $14,738 per year.
Request Information
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. SIUE is a large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.
SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in tuition and fees each year.
Request Information
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the small city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Eau Claire are $17,149 per year.
UW - Eau Claire also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Report
Request Information
University of Akron Main Campus landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Akron, University of Akron Main Campus is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,880 per year.
Request Information
Eastern Michigan University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Eastern Michigan are $15,500 per year.
Request Information
Southern Illinois University Carbondale 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 #13 on the list. SIUC is a large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SIUC are $15,240 a year.
Request Information
Illinois 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 #14 on the list. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $24,172 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Illinois State also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University Report
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness students in the Great Lakes Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 16 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI |
| 17 | Davenport University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 18 | University of Southern Indiana | Evansville, IN |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI |
Best 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
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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.