2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
Best Kentucky Schools for Affordable Quality in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness
Our 2023 rankings named University of Louisville the best value school in Kentucky for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UofL is a very large public school located in the large city of Louisville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UofL are $12,370 a 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.
UofL excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky list.
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The excellent programs at Western Kentucky University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Kentucky. WKU is a fairly 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.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of the Cumberlands. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the town of Williamsburg, Cumberlands is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cumberlands are $9,875 per 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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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Murray State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Murray State is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Murray.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Murray State are $9,252 per 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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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Morehead State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky list. Morehead State University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Morehead.
Morehead State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,462 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.
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University of Kentucky came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Kentucky ranking. UK is a fairly large public school located in the city of Lexington.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UK are $12,610 a year.
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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 distant town of Richmond, Eastern is a public school with a large student population.
Eastern undergraduate students pay an average of $9,752 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.
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With a ranking of #8, Bellarmine University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the large city of Louisville, Bellarmine U is a private not-for-profit school 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.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Bellarmine U is ranked #3 for overall quality for parks and rec in Kentucky.
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 |
| Alabama | 959 |
| Georgia | 1,981 |
| Tennessee | 2,462 |
| Louisiana | 703 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Kentucky
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 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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