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Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana

2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

14 Colleges
$23,534 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$31,288 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #16 most popular major in Indiana with 1,818 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

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 Schools in Indiana ranking. This report analyzed 14 schools in Indiana to see which ones offered the best value programs for parks and rec students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

$11,333 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Indiana University - Bloomington the best value school in Indiana for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public school with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at IU Bloomington are $11,333 a year. Parks & Rec majors at IU Bloomington take out an average of $20,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $437.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, IU Bloomington is ranked #4 for overall quality for parks and rec in Indiana.

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#2

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN
$9,992 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Purdue University - Main Campus is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Purdue is a fairly large public school located in the small city of West Lafayette.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Purdue are $9,992 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Purdue carry an average student debtload of $19,667. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $353.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Purdue is ranked #3 for overall quality for parks and rec in Indiana.

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$9,509 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at University of Southern Indiana helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Indiana. USI is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Evansville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at USI are $9,509 per year. Parks & Rec majors at USI take out an average of $23,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $169.

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$25,044 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Grace College and Theological Seminary is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the town of Winona Lake, Grace College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grace College are $25,044 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Grace College take out is $25,750.

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#5

Ball State University

Muncie, IN
$10,290 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Ball State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Ball State is a very large public school located in the small city of Muncie.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ball State are $10,290 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Ball State take out is $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $344.

Ball State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list.

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$10,044 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. IUPUI is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at IUPUI are $10,044 a year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at IUPUI take out is $24,703. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $107.

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#7

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, IN
$9,598 Average Tuition & Fees

Indiana State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the small city of Terre Haute, Indiana State is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Indiana State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,598 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Indiana State accumulate an average of around $24,075 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $179.

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#8

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN
$44,796 Average Tuition & Fees

Valparaiso University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list. Located in the suburb of Valparaiso, Valpo is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Valpo are $44,796 per year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Valpo accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

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#9

University of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN
$33,516 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Indianapolis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana ranking. UIndy is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Indianapolis.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIndy are $33,516 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UIndy carry an average student debtload of $26,631. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $379, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#10

Trine University

Angola, IN
$34,180 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, Trine University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the town of Angola, Trine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Trine undergraduate students pay an average of $34,180 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Trine take out is $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $260.

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Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,279
Ohio 2,647
Illinois 2,396
Wisconsin 1,001

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

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.

  • 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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