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

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

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

8 Colleges
$16,344 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$30,581 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You

With 1,141 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #14 most popular major in Kentucky.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.

The Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Kentucky to see which programs offered the best value experiences for parks and rec students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

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.

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

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

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

#1

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY
$12,370 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found University of Louisville to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Kentucky. UofL is a very large public school located in the large city of Louisville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UofL are $12,370 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UofL carry an average student debtload of $22,187. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $252.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, UofL also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

#2

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY
$10,992 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Kentucky University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky list. WKU is a large public school located in the city of Bowling Green.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WKU are $10,992 a year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at WKU take out is $28,156. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $171.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Kentucky University

#3

University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, KY
$9,875 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 8 schools in Kentucky that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the Cumberlands landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the town of Williamsburg, Cumberlands is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Cumberlands undergraduate students pay an average of $9,875 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at Cumberlands take out an average of $21,436 in student loans while working on their egree.

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$9,252 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Murray State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Kentucky. Murray State is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Murray.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Murray State are $9,252 a year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Murray State accumulate an average of around $22,500 in student debt.

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$9,462 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Morehead State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Kentucky. Morehead State University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Morehead.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Morehead State University are $9,462 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Morehead State University take out is $27,517. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $89, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Morehead State University Report

#6

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY
$12,610 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, University of Kentucky did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UK is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington.

UK undergraduate students pay an average of $12,610 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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

$9,752 Average Tuition & Fees

Eastern Kentucky University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Richmond, Eastern is a public school with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Eastern are $9,752 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Eastern carry an average student debtload of $27,412. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $207, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Kentucky University

#8

Bellarmine University

Louisville, KY
$44,620 Average Tuition & Fees

Bellarmine University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the large city of Louisville, Bellarmine U is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bellarmine U are $44,620 a year. Parks & Rec majors at Bellarmine U take out an average of $26,490 in student loans while working on their egree.

Bellarmine U also took the #3 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky rankings.

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

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
Alabama 959
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 8 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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