2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #15 most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This report analyzed 65 schools in the Southwest Region 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.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Oklahoma Panhandle State University the best value school in the Southwest Region for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the rural area of Goodwell, OPSU is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at OPSU are $8,234 a year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at OPSU take out is $25,985.
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The excellent programs at West Texas A&M University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Southwest Region . West Texas A&M University is a medium-sized public school located in the fringe town of Canyon.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 a year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from West Texas A&M University carry an average student debtload of $22,950.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the town of Alva, NWOSU is a public school with a small student population.
NWOSU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,001 in tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at NWOSU take out an average of $20,125 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Arizona State University - Skysong is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Scottsdale.
ASU - Skysong undergraduate students pay an average of $13,092 in tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at ASU - Skysong take out an average of $23,467 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $453.
In addition to its great value ranking, ASU - Skysong is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region list.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means MSU Texas is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. MSU Texas is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Wichita Falls.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MSU Texas are $11,726 a year.
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Grand Canyon University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Grand Canyon University are $17,189 a year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Grand Canyon University take out is $26,999. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $233.
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Southeastern Oklahoma State 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 #7 on the list. Located in the town of Durant, Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeastern Oklahoma State University are $15,870 per year.
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Southwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Weatherford, SWOSU is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SWOSU are $15,023 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from SWOSU take out $22,005 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #9, Tarleton State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Tarleton is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Stephenville.
Tarleton undergraduate students pay an average of $17,582 in tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at Tarleton take out an average of $23,250 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 $152.
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South Texas College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of McAllen, South Texas College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
South Texas College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,920 in tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from South Texas College take out $8,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
South Texas College also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Here are some additional great value schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness students in the Southwest Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Cameron University | Lawton, OK |
| 12 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX |
| 13 | University of Houston - Clear Lake | Houston, TX |
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools for a specific state in the Southwest region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 1,071 |
| Texas | 7,380 |
| New Mexico | 141 |
| Oklahoma | 1,179 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Related Majors for 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 25 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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