2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
With 959 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #17 most popular major in Alabama.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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.
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 Alabama to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 9 schools in Alabama 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.
Best Alabama Schools for Affordable Quality in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness
Our analysis found Auburn University at Montgomery to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Alabama. Located in the city of Montgomery, AUM is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
AUM undergraduate students pay an average of $8,860 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from AUM take out $31,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Out of the 9 schools in Alabama that were part of this year’s ranking, United States Sports Academy landed the # 2 spot on the list. The Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Daphne.
The Academy undergraduate students pay an average of $17,424 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at The Academy take out an average of $31,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Troy University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the town of Troy, TROY is a public college with a large student population.
TROY undergraduate students pay an average of $9,312 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from TROY carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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Out of the 9 schools in Alabama that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Alabama landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Mobile, USA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
USA undergraduate students pay an average of $8,756 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at USA take out an average of $30,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $325.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Jacksonville State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama list. Located in the suburb of Jacksonville, Jacksonville State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Jacksonville State University are $11,120 a year.
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University of Montevallo 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 #6 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Montevallo, Montevallo is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Montevallo are $13,710 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Montevallo take out an average of $25,208 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Alabama in Huntsville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama list. UAH is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Huntsville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UAH are $11,488 a year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UAH take out is $30,025.
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Huntingdon College 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. Located in the midsize city of Montgomery, Huntingdon College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Huntingdon College are $27,492 a year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Huntingdon College accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $257, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Huntingdon College Report
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University of Mobile landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the rural area of Mobile, University of Mobile is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Mobile are $24,855 per year. Parks & Rec majors at University of Mobile take out an average of $25,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request InformationBest Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 3,436 |
| West Virginia | 1,238 |
| Mississippi | 1,128 |
| South Carolina | 1,339 |
| Florida | 2,340 |
| Virginia | 1,729 |
| Arkansas | 1,012 |
| Kentucky | 1,141 |
| Georgia | 1,981 |
| Tennessee | 2,462 |
| Louisiana | 703 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Alabama
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 9 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.