by our College Data Analytics Team
[Sports Studies](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/health-and-physical-education/sports-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 1 schools to find the best return on investment for sports studies students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the sports studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in sports studies, no school beat University Of Mary this year. University Of Mary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Bismarck. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $22,356. Sports Studies graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career sports studies graduates make about $65,565. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. University Of Mary admits about 75% of applicants.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.