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

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region

25 Colleges
$31,332 Avg Salary
$25,331 Avg Student Debt

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

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #18 most popular major in the country with 10,452 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.

The Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in the Plains States Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best 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 education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Our analysis found Winona State University to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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#3

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN

The excellent programs at Saint Cloud State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

The excellent programs at University of Iowa helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Plains States Region . Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City.

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The excellent programs at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Plains States Region . UMN Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

With a ranking of #6, Concordia University, Nebraska did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Concordia University, Nebraska is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Seward.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Nebraska

Iowa State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a very large student population.

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Minot State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the remote town of Minot, MSU is a public college with a small student population.

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

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Springfield, Missouri State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Missouri State University - Springfield Report

With a ranking of #10, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public school with a very large student population.

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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 50
Missouri 247
Minnesota 151
Iowa 136
North Dakota 36
Nebraska 36
South Dakota 61

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 9,742
Recreation Administration 441
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 206
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 35
Outdoor Education 28

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 53,252
Legal Professions 45,189
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 13,045
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 1,613

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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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