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Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama

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2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

9 Colleges
$15,183 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$33,352 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Alabama

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Best Alabama Schools for Affordable Quality in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

$8,860 Average Tuition & Fees

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 medium-sized city of Montgomery, AUM is a public school with a medium-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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Auburn University at Montgomery

$17,424 Average Tuition & Fees

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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at United States Sports Academy

#3

Troy University

Troy, AL
$9,312 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Troy University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Alabama. Located in the town of Troy, TROY is a public school with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at TROY are $9,312 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from TROY carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Troy University Report

$8,756 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at University of South Alabama helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Alabama. Located in the city of Mobile, USA is a public college with a 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.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of South Alabama Report

#5

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL
$11,120 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Jacksonville State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. 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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Jacksonville State University

#6

University of Montevallo

Montevallo, AL
$13,710 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Montevallo ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama list. Located in the large suburb of Montevallo, Montevallo is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Montevallo are $13,710 a year. Parks & Rec majors at Montevallo take out an average of $25,208 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Montevallo

$11,488 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, University of Alabama in Huntsville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UAH is a medium-sized public school located in the 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.

Read More…

#8

Huntingdon College

Montgomery, AL
$27,492 Average Tuition & Fees

Huntingdon College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama list. Located in the city of Montgomery, Huntingdon College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Huntingdon College undergraduate students pay an average of $27,492 in in-state tuition and fees each 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

#9

University of Mobile

Mobile, AL
$24,855 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Mobile ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama list. Located in the rural area of Mobile, University of Mobile is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at University of Mobile are $24,855 a year. Parks & Rec majors at University of Mobile take out an average of $25,500 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Mobile

Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 3,436
West Virginia 1,238
Florida 2,340
Virginia 1,729
Arkansas 1,012
Mississippi 1,128
South Carolina 1,339
Louisiana 703
Kentucky 1,141
Georgia 1,981
Tennessee 2,462

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

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.

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