2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Colorado
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
With 1,093 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #15 most popular major in Colorado.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
The Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Colorado ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 7 schools in Colorado 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. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Best Colorado Schools for Affordable Quality in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness
Our analysis found Metropolitan State University of Denver to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Colorado. MSU Denver is a large public school located in the large city of Denver.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at MSU Denver are $10,021 a year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from MSU Denver carry an average student debtload of $23,739.
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The excellent programs at Colorado State University - Fort Collins helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Colorado. Located in the medium-sized city of Fort Collins, Colorado State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Colorado State are $12,188 a year. Parks & Rec majors at Colorado State take out an average of $21,018 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $343, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Colorado State also took the #3 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Colorado rankings.
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Out of the 7 schools in Colorado that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Colorado landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Greeley, University of Northern Colorado is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at University of Northern Colorado are $10,666 a year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at University of Northern Colorado accumulate an average of around $24,625 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $327.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Adams State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Colorado list. Adams State is a small public school located in the remote town of Alamosa.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Adams State are $9,680 a year. Parks & Rec majors at Adams State take out an average of $24,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The excellent programs at Colorado Mesa University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Colorado. Located in the city of Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Colorado Mesa undergraduate students pay an average of $9,000 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at Colorado Mesa take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $222.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Colorado Mesa University
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Fort Lewis College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Colorado list. Located in the town of Durango, FLC is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FLC are $9,004 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at FLC take out is $16,007.
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With a ranking of #7, Western Colorado University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Western is a small public school located in the town of Gunnison.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Western are $10,662 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Western carry an average student debtload of $22,735. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $270.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Colorado University Report
Request InformationBest Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region
Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Utah | 1,178 |
| Montana | 94 |
| Idaho | 249 |
| Wyoming | 126 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Colorado
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 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 7 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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