2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Wisconsin
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 1,001 degrees and certificates were awarded to parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who went to a Wisconsin college or university. This makes it the #17 most popular major in the state.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Wisconsin to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 13 schools in Wisconsin 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Wisconsin - Platteville the best value school in Wisconsin for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Platteville.
UW - Platteville undergraduate students pay an average of $7,844 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UW - Platteville take out is $30,247.
UW - Platteville also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Wisconsin list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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The excellent programs at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Wisconsin. Located in the distant town of Stevens Point, UW - Stevens Point is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW - Stevens Point are $8,331 a year. Parks & Rec majors at UW - Stevens Point take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Wisconsin list. UW - River Falls is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of River Falls.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - River Falls are $8,088 per year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UW - River Falls is ranked #5 for overall quality for parks and rec in Wisconsin.
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The excellent programs at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Wisconsin. Located in the city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public school with a large student population.
UW - La Crosse undergraduate students pay an average of $9,195 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from UW - La Crosse take out $24,483 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $183, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
UW - La Crosse not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Wisconsin list.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Report
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Out of the 13 schools in Wisconsin that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the # 5 spot on the list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW - Eau Claire are $8,874 a year. On average, parks and rec graduates from UW - Eau Claire take out $23,673 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW - Eau Claire is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Wisconsin list.
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University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Wisconsin ranking. UW - Madison is a fairly large public school located in the city of Madison.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW - Madison are $10,720 a year. Parks & Rec majors at UW - Madison take out an average of $25,787 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UW - Madison is ranked #1 for overall quality for parks and rec in Wisconsin.
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University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UWM is a very large public school located in the city of Milwaukee.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UWM are $9,610 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UWM take out is $28,453. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $189, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Cardinal Stritch University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Cardinal Stritch is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Milwaukee.
Cardinal Stritch undergraduate students pay an average of $34,762 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Marian University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Marian is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Fond Du Lac.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Marian are $29,130 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Marian take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Wisconsin Lutheran College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Wisconsin ranking. WLC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee.
WLC undergraduate students pay an average of $32,766 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at WLC take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request InformationBest 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 |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 1,818 |
| Michigan | 2,279 |
| Ohio | 2,647 |
| Illinois | 2,396 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Wisconsin
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Related Majors for 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 13 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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