2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies was ranked #15 in the country. In fact 73,813 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.
The Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 58 schools in the Plains States Region 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 the Plains States Region
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 Dickinson State University to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . DSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Dickinson.
DSU undergraduate students pay an average of $9,942 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Dickinson State University Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wayne State College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list. WSC is a small public school located in the distant town of Wayne.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WSC are $7,458 a year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from WSC carry an average student debtload of $25,000.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
South Dakota State undergraduate students pay an average of $12,809 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at South Dakota State accumulate an average of around $24,907 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, South Dakota State also is in the top 20% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Dakota State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minot State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the town of Minot, MSU is a public school with a small student population.
MSU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,163 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from MSU carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Southwest Minnesota State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Marshall.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Minnesota State University are $9,482 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Southwest Minnesota State University take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the remote town of Maryville, Northwest is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Northwest undergraduate students pay an average of $14,919 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Northwest accumulate an average of around $25,421 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $218, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Saint Cloud State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at St. Cloud State University are $18,010 per year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at St. Cloud State University accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saint Cloud State University Report
North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. North Dakota State University is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fargo.
North Dakota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,876 in tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at North Dakota State University take out an average of $23,990 in student loans while working on their egree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, North Dakota State University also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #9, Northern State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. NSU is a small public school located in the town of Aberdeen.
NSU undergraduate students pay an average of $11,947 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at NSU take out is $26,988.
Winona State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the distant town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Winona State are $16,684 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Winona State take out is $25,724. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $259.
Winona State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Winona State University Report
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 Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Kansas | 710 |
| Minnesota | 1,139 |
| Iowa | 1,491 |
| South Dakota | 342 |
| Missouri | 1,342 |
| Nebraska | 429 |
| North Dakota | 266 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in the Plains States Region
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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