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Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota

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2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota

10 Colleges
$32,046 Avg Salary
$25,408 Avg Student Debt

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

Out of the majors we analyze each year, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies was ranked 8th in South Dakota. In fact, 342 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 10 schools in South Dakota 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 South Dakota.

#1

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD

Our 2023 rankings named University of South Dakota the most popular school in South Dakota for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. USD is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Vermillion.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at USD take out is $27,000.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of South Dakota

Out of the 10 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a large student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at South Dakota State accumulate an average of around $24,907 in student debt.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Dakota State University

#3

Augustana University

Sioux Falls, SD

The excellent programs at Augustana University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in South Dakota. Augustana Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Sioux Falls.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Augustana Sioux Falls take out is $22,875.

Read More…

Out of the 10 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Black Hills State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. BHSU is a small public school located in the town of Spearfish.

On average, parks and rec graduates from BHSU take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#5

University of Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls, SD

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Sioux Falls is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. University of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Sioux Falls.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at University of Sioux Falls accumulate an average of around $24,182 in student debt.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Sioux Falls

With a ranking of #6, Northern State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. NSU is a small public school located in the town of Aberdeen.

Parks & Rec majors at NSU take out an average of $26,988 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

#7

Mount Marty University

Yankton, SD

With a ranking of #7, Mount Marty University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the town of Yankton, Mount Marty is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#8

Dakota State University

Madison, SD

Dakota State University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota list. Dakota State is a small public school located in the town of Madison.

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

#9

Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD

Presentation College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota ranking. Presentation College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Aberdeen.

Read More…

#10

Dakota Wesleyan University

Mitchell, SD

Dakota Wesleyan University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota list. Located in the remote town of Mitchell, Dakota Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Dakota Wesleyan University

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 710
Minnesota 1,139
Iowa 1,491
Missouri 1,342
Nebraska 429
North Dakota 266

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 10 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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