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Most Popular Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Most Popular Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region

13 Colleges
$32,191 Avg Salary
$25,844 Avg Student Debt

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.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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 Most Popular Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 13 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones were the most popular online programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges.

#1

Davenport University

Grand Rapids, MI

Our analysis found Davenport University to be the most popular school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue an online degree in the Great Lakes Region . Davenport University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Grand Rapids.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Davenport University take out $29,375 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Davenport University Report

#2

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, IL

Out of the 13 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Chicago landed the # 2 spot on the list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Concordia University, Chicago accumulate an average of around $26,250 in student debt.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Chicago Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Northwestern Ohio. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Northwestern Ohio is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lima.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at University of Northwestern Ohio take out is $29,500.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Northwestern Ohio

#4

Franklin University

Columbus, OH

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Franklin University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students pursuing an online degree. Franklin University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Columbus.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Franklin University accumulate an average of around $31,917 in student debt.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern Indiana. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize suburb of Evansville, USI is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at USI take out is $23,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $169, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Southern Indiana Report

Columbus State Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Columbus State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Columbus.

Read More…

#7

Lakeland University

Plymouth, WI

Lakeland University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. Lakeland is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Plymouth.

Parks & Rec majors at Lakeland take out an average of $26,697 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

#8

McKendree University

Lebanon, IL

McKendree University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Lebanon.

Parks & Rec majors at McKendree take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

With a ranking of #9, James A Rhodes State College did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Rhodes State College is a small public school located in the small suburb of Lima.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at James A Rhodes State College

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dayton.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Wright State University - Main Campus take out $28,104 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wright State University - Main Campus Report

Explore the most popular online parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 1,818
Michigan 2,279
Ohio 2,647
Illinois 2,396
Wisconsin 1,001

More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in the Great Lakes Region

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

Majors Similar to Parks & Rec

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 13 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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