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

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

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

25 Colleges
$21,028 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$31,332 Avg Salary

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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Grad Degree Search has created its Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in the Plains States Region to see which programs offered the best value experiences for parks and rec students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value 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 value for your educational dollar.

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

$36,310 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Concordia University, Nebraska to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . Concordia University, Nebraska is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Seward.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Concordia University, Nebraska are $36,310 a year.

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

The excellent programs at Winona State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Winona State are $16,684 per year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Winona State also is in the top 10% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.

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

#3

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN
$18,010 Average Tuition & Fees

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 college with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at St. Cloud State University are $18,010 per year.

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

The excellent programs at Minnesota State University - Mankato 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 . Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Minnesota State Mankato are $18,200 per year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Minnesota State Mankato is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list.

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$14,919 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 25 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest Missouri State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the town of Maryville, Northwest is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Northwest undergraduate students pay an average of $14,919 in tuition and fees each year.

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$8,163 Average Tuition & Fees

Minot State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Minot, MSU is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU are $8,163 per year.

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With a ranking of #7, South Dakota State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Dakota State are $12,809 per year.

South Dakota State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region list.

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

#8

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA
$30,954 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Grand View University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grand View University are $30,954 per year.

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

$23,900 Average Tuition & Fees

Concordia University, Saint Paul did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul.

Concordia University, Saint Paul undergraduate students pay an average of $23,900 in tuition and fees each year.

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

$16,498 Average Tuition & Fees

Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State is a public school with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Missouri State are $16,498 a year.

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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 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.

  • 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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