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Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan

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2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan

44 Colleges
$31,378 Avg Salary
$25,970 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #13 most popular major in Michigan with 2,279 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 44 schools in Michigan to see which ones were the most popular 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.

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Michigan.

#1

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Our analysis found Michigan State University to be the most popular school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Michigan. Michigan State is a very large public school located in the small city of East Lansing.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Michigan State take out is $25,926. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $408, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Michigan State University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at U-M accumulate an average of around $17,507 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $531.

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#3

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Central Michigan carry an average student debt load of $29,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $259, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Central Michigan University Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. Located in the suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Parks & Rec majors at GVSU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $303.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grand Valley State University

The excellent programs at Western Michigan University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Michigan. WMU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at WMU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $373, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Eastern Michigan University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan ranking. Eastern Michigan is a large public school located in the large suburb of Ypsilanti.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Eastern Michigan take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $175, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#7

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI

Wayne State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. Wayne State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Detroit.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wayne State University Report

Northern Michigan University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. Located in the remote town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Parks & Rec majors at Northern Michigan University take out an average of $21,494 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northern Michigan University

#9

Adrian College

Adrian, MI

Adrian College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the town of Adrian, Adrian is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Adrian carry an average student debt load of $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $514, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Adrian College Report

#10

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, MI

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Michigan list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Saginaw Valley State University carry an average student debt load of $30,096.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saginaw Valley State University Report

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

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

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

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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