2026 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies Schools in Louisiana

[Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools.
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2026 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies Schools in Louisiana
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies Schools
For return on investment in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies, no school beat Louisiana State University Alexandria this year. Located in the rural area of Alexandria, Louisiana State University Alexandria is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,050, while out-of-state students pay about $14,725. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates carry a median of $24,656 in student loans. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Louisiana State University Alexandria generally make around $47,702. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies will find it at University Of New Orleans, which ranked #2. Set in the city of New Orleans, University Of New Orleans is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,172 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,008 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies program here. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from University Of New Orleans generally make around $25,262. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mcneese State University earned it the #3 place for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies. Mcneese State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Lake Charles. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,489, compared with $9,989 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates is $19,014. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Mcneese State University generally make around $38,189. Set against $19,014 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies will find it at University Of Louisiana Monroe, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Monroe, University Of Louisiana Monroe is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,190, while out-of-state students pay about $21,290. Typical student debt for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates is $21,500. Early-career parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates make about $34,789. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Southeastern Louisiana University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools. Located in the city of Hammond, Southeastern Louisiana University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,373, while out-of-state students pay about $20,851. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies program here. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Southeastern Louisiana University generally make around $35,345. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Louisiana Tech University earned the #6 position for value in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies this year. Set in the town of Ruston, Louisiana Tech University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,125, compared with $16,866 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates is $24,750. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Louisiana Tech University generally make around $31,802. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Northwestern State University Of Louisiana earned the #7 position for value in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies this year. Located in the town of Natchitoches, Northwestern State University Of Louisiana is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,864, compared with $19,652 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies program here. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates of Northwestern State University Of Louisiana earn a median of $28,009 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 92%.
Louisiana College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools. Located in the suburb of Pineville, Louisiana College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $20,266 in tuition and fees. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates make about $57,294. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Louisiana College admits about 77% of applicants.
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College placed #9 among the best values for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies. Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College is a very large public school located in the city of Baton Rouge. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,954, compared with $28,631 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete the parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies program here. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates of Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College earn a median of $31,956 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Grambling State University landed the #10 spot for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies value this year. Grambling State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Grambling. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,683, while out-of-state students pay about $16,706. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates carry a median of $41,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Grambling State University generally make around $33,683. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
Tulane University Of Louisiana landed the #11 spot for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies value this year. Tulane University Of Louisiana is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Orleans. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,678. Typical student debt for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies graduates is $22,077. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Tulane University Of Louisiana generally make around $54,082. That is a strong return on a $22,077 median debt. Tulane University Of Louisiana admits about 14% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.