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

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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.

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

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

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

$11,333 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Indiana University - Bloomington to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Indiana. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public college with a fairly large student population.

IU Bloomington undergraduate students pay an average of $11,333 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.

IU Bloomington did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list.

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#2

Purdue University - Main Campus

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list. Purdue is a very 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.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus Report

$9,509 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern Indiana. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list. USI is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Evansville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at USI are $9,509 a 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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Southern Indiana

$25,044 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 14 schools in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Grace College and Theological Seminary landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the distant town of Winona Lake, Grace College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grace College and Theological Seminary

#5

Ball State University

Muncie, IN
$10,290 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ball State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list. Ball State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Muncie.

Ball State undergraduate students pay an average of $10,290 in in-state tuition and fees each 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 also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ball State University

$10,044 Average Tuition & Fees

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Indiana ranking. 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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#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

With a ranking of #8, Valparaiso University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the large suburb of Valparaiso, Valpo is a private not-for-profit college 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

With a ranking of #9, University of Indianapolis did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UIndy is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Indianapolis.

UIndy undergraduate students pay an average of $33,516 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Indianapolis

#10

Trine University

Angola, IN
$34,180 Average Tuition & Fees

Trine University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. 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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Trine University

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

Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges 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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