2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #15 most popular major in the country with 73,813 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. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. This report analyzed 18 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region 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.
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2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
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
Our 2023 rankings named Brigham Young University - Provo the best value school in the Rocky Mountains Region for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Provo.
BYU undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at BYU accumulate an average of around $11,225 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU also is in the top 15% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
Out of the 18 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Weber State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Ogden, WSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WSU are $16,644 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from WSU take out $13,814 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Weber State University
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Adams State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the remote town of Alamosa, Adams State is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Adams State are $17,933 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Adams State take out is $24,000.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Adams State University Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the town of Laramie, UW is a public school with a fairly large student population.
UW undergraduate students pay an average of $16,957 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UW take out is $20,500.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Colorado. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. University of Northern Colorado is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Greeley.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Northern Colorado are $23,785 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from University of Northern Colorado take out $24,625 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $327.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Northern Colorado Report
Utah Valley University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in the city of Orem, UVU is a public college with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UVU are $17,092 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UVU take out is $15,911.
UVU also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Lewis - Clark State College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Lewiston, Lewis - Clark State College is a public college with a small student population.
Lewis - Clark State College undergraduate students pay an average of $20,238 in tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Lewis - Clark State College take out $22,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lewis - Clark State College Report
Colorado State University - Fort Collins 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 #8 on the list. Colorado State is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fort Collins.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Colorado State are $31,470 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Colorado State take out is $21,018. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $343.
Colorado State also made our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list, coming in at #5.
University of Utah 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. Located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City, U of U is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at U of U are $28,345 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from U of U take out $21,061 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, U of U also is in the top 20% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Utah Report
Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the city of Denver, MSU Denver is a public school with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU Denver are $27,502 per year. Parks & Rec majors at MSU Denver take out an average of $23,739 in student loans while working on their egree.
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Colorado | 1,093 |
| Utah | 1,178 |
| Montana | 94 |
| Idaho | 249 |
| Wyoming | 126 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in the Rocky Mountains Region
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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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