2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree 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 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 132 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones were the most popular bachelor's degree programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Check out the parks and rec bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the Plains States Region .
Top 15% Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found University of Iowa to be the most popular school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Plains States Region . Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City.
About 59% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 41% are male.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Iowa State University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a very large student population.
About 60% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 40% are male.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. KU is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence.
Women make up 48% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Minnesota State University - Mankato is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a large student population.
About 43% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 57% are male.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Missouri State University - Springfield is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 66% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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Saint Louis University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. SLU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Louis.
Women make up 73% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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Concordia University, Saint Paul landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul.
Of the 119 students majoring in parks and rec at Concordia University, Saint Paul, 61% are male and 39% are female.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public college with a very large student population.
About 25% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 75% are male.
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With a ranking of #9, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNI is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.
About 57% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 43% are male.
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Lindenwood University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
About 45% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 55% are male.
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University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
Women make up 28% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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Winona State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Women make up 74% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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With a ranking of #13, Truman State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the town of Kirksville, Truman State is a public school with a small student population.
Women make up 52% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. North Dakota State University is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Fargo.
Women make up 32% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNK is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Kearney.
About 49% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 51% are male.
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University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the small city of Duluth, UMN Duluth is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Women make up 59% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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With a ranking of #17, University of Central Missouri did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UCM is a large public school located in the distant town of Warrensburg.
About 36% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 64% are male.
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Saint Ambrose University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Davenport.
Of the 69 students majoring in parks and rec at St. Ambrose University, 52% are male and 48% are female.
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University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large city of Omaha, UNOMAHA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 56% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional popular schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Missouri Western State University | Saint Joseph, MO |
| 21 | University of South Dakota | Vermillion, SD |
| 22 | Grand View University | Des Moines, IA |
| 23 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
| 24 | Southwest Minnesota State University | Marshall, MN |
| 24 | Bemidji State University | Bemidji, MN |
| 26 | Southeast Missouri State University | Cape Girardeau, MO |
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies colleges 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 |
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.