2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 7,380 degrees and certificates were awarded to parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who went to a Texas college or university. This makes it the #14 most popular major in the state.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 45 schools in Texas 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.
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2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Texas
Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our analysis found University of Houston - Clear Lake to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Texas. Located in the suburb of Houston, UH Clear Lake is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UH Clear Lake are $7,698 a year. Parks & Rec majors at UH Clear Lake take out an average of $18,785 in student loans while working on their egree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UH Clear Lake also is in the top 20% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas ranking.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Houston - Clear Lake Report
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Tarleton State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the remote town of Stephenville, Tarleton is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Tarleton are $7,790 a 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.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Tarleton State University Report
The excellent programs at West Texas A&M University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Texas. Located in the town of Canyon, West Texas A&M University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
West Texas A&M University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,202 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from West Texas A&M University carry an average student debtload of $22,950.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Texas A&M University Report
Out of the 45 schools in Texas that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public college with a very large student population.
UT Austin undergraduate students pay an average of $11,752 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from UT Austin take out $21,765 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $385, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
UT Austin did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas list.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Sam Houston State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the distant town of Huntsville, SHSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SHSU are $8,960 a year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at SHSU accumulate an average of around $23,125 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $177, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, SHSU also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sam Houston State University Report
Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas list. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of College Station.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Texas A&M College Station are $12,204 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Texas A&M College Station take out $19,500 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $345.
Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas list.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M University - College Station Report
South Texas College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas list. South Texas College is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of McAllen.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at South Texas College are $4,530 a year. On average, parks and rec graduates from South Texas College take out $8,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, South Texas College also is in the top 15% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas ranking.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Texas College Report
With a ranking of #8, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. TWU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Denton.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at TWU are $8,394 a year. Parks & Rec majors at TWU take out an average of $21,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas Woman’s University
University of Houston landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UH is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Houston.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UH are $9,699 a year. On average, parks and rec graduates from UH take out $22,250 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $205, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
UH 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 Texas list.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Houston Report
Lamar University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Texas ranking. Located in the city of Beaumont, Lamar University is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lamar University are $8,690 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Lamar University take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southwest Region
Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southwest Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 1,071 |
| New Mexico | 141 |
| Oklahoma | 1,179 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Texas
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 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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