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

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

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

10 Colleges
$15,879 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$30,291 Avg Salary

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

Out of the majors we analyze each year, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies was ranked 8th in Tennessee. In fact, 2,462 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Tennessee 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.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges.

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

$9,232 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Middle Tennessee State University to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. Located in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Middle Tennessee State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,232 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Middle Tennessee State University carry an average student debtload of $27,333. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $130.

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

#2

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
$10,056 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Memphis. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list. UofM is a fairly large public school located in the city of Memphis.

UofM undergraduate students pay an average of $10,056 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UofM take out is $28,671. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $176, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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$9,802 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tennessee Technological University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Tennessee Tech University are $9,802 a year. Parks & Rec majors at Tennessee Tech University take out an average of $16,579 in student loans while working on their egree.

Tennessee Tech University also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Tennessee Technological University Report

#4

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN
$8,431 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Austin Peay State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the medium-sized city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Austin Peay State University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,431 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Austin Peay State University accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $156.

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

#5

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN
$8,336 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 10 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Tennessee State University are $8,336 a year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Tennessee State University take out is $31,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $210.

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$13,244 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Knoxville are $13,244 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UT Knoxville carry an average student debtload of $22,659. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $391.

UT Knoxville did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

$9,438 Average Tuition & Fees

East Tennessee State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee ranking. ETSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Johnson City.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ETSU are $9,438 a year. On average, parks and rec graduates from ETSU take out $23,073 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $309.

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

#8

Lee University

Cleveland, TN
$20,500 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Lee University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Lee University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Cleveland.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lee University are $20,500 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Lee University take out is $25,250.

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

#9

Belmont University

Nashville, TN
$38,430 Average Tuition & Fees

Belmont University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Belmont are $38,430 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Belmont take out is $18,473.

Belmont not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list.

Read More…

#10

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, TN
$31,320 Average Tuition & Fees

Carson - Newman University 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 #10 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Jefferson City, Carson - Newman is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Carson - Newman are $31,320 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Carson - Newman take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Carson - Newman 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
Kentucky 1,141
Georgia 1,981

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 10 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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