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Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia

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2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

5 Colleges
$19,636 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$31,545 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 7th in West Virginia. In fact, 1,238 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. 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.

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 West Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 5 schools in West Virginia 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 West Virginia

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

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

Our analysis found American Public University System to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in West Virginia. American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at American Military University are $7,360 per year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at American Military University accumulate an average of around $21,148 in student debt.

American Military University also took the #1 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia rankings.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Public University System

#2

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV

The excellent programs at West Virginia University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in West Virginia. WVU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Morgantown.

WVU undergraduate students pay an average of $9,144 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at WVU take out is $25,098. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $450.

WVU not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia list.

Read More…

#3

Marshall University

Huntington, WV

Out of the 5 schools in West Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Marshall University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Huntington, Marshall University is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Marshall University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,552 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Marshall University accumulate an average of around $25,250 in student debt.

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$30,020 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Alderson Broaddus University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia list. Located in the distant town of Philippi, Alderson Broaddus University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Alderson Broaddus University undergraduate students pay an average of $30,020 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Alderson Broaddus University accumulate an average of around $26,157 in student debt.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Alderson Broaddus University Report

$32,612 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend West Virginia Wesleyan College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia list. Located in the remote town of Buckhannon, West Virginia Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Virginia Wesleyan are $32,612 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at West Virginia Wesleyan take out is $27,000.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Virginia Wesleyan College Report

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
South Carolina 1,339
Florida 2,340
Virginia 1,729
Arkansas 1,012
Mississippi 1,128
Louisiana 703
Alabama 959
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 5 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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