2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #13 most popular major in Michigan with 2,279 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 18 schools in Michigan 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.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Michigan
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Saginaw Valley State University the best value school in Michigan for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Saginaw Valley State University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,130 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Saginaw Valley State University accumulate an average of around $30,096 in student debt.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saginaw Valley State University
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a fairly large student population.
U-M undergraduate students pay an average of $17,193 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at U-M accumulate an average of around $17,507 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $531.
U-M also made our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list, coming in at #2.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. Located in the large suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GVSU are $13,900 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at GVSU take out is $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $303.
GVSU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grand Valley State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Central Michigan University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. Central Michigan is a large public school located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Central Michigan are $13,094 a year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Central Michigan carry an average student debtload of $29,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $259, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Central Michigan University Report
Out of the 18 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of East Lansing.
Michigan State undergraduate students pay an average of $15,966 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Michigan State accumulate an average of around $25,926 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $408, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Michigan State is ranked #4 for overall quality for parks and rec in Michigan.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Michigan State University
Western Michigan University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. WMU is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WMU are $13,434 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from WMU carry an average student debtload of $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $373, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Eastern Michigan University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Ypsilanti.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Eastern Michigan are $15,500 a year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Eastern Michigan take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $175, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Michigan University Report
Northern Michigan University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the remote town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northern Michigan University are $13,206 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Northern Michigan University carry an average student debtload of $21,494.
Davenport 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 #9 on the list. Davenport University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Grand Rapids.
Davenport University undergraduate students pay an average of $20,964 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Davenport University take out is $29,375.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Davenport University Report
With a ranking of #10, Wayne State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Wayne State is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Wayne State are $15,199 a year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wayne State University Report
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 |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 1,818 |
| Ohio | 2,647 |
| Illinois | 2,396 |
| Wisconsin | 1,001 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Michigan
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related 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 18 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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