2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor'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 Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which doctor'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 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Concordia University, Chicago to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a doctor’s degree in the Great Lakes Region . Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of River Forest.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Concordia University, Chicago are $9,378 per year.
Concordia University, Chicago also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Chicago Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UW - Madison are $25,501 per year.
UW - Madison excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UIUC are $30,862 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UIUC also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at IU Bloomington are $33,352 a year.
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Out of the 10 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, UWM is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UWM are $25,651 per year.
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Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Purdue are $28,794 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Purdue also is in the top 10% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Ohio State are $38,377 a year.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at U-M are $50,464 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, U-M also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report
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Michigan State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State is a very large public school located in the small city of East Lansing.
Michigan State graduate students pay an average of $38,638 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Michigan State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Michigan State University Report
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University of Toledo ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Toledo, University of Toledo is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at University of Toledo are $27,739 a year.
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Request InformationBest 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 10 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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