Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies at Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green's Parks and Recreation program sits squarely in the middle of what's available—both nationally and within Ohio—which means you're getting exactly average outcomes for a field that doesn't pay particularly well to begin with. Starting at $33,000 and climbing to $38,000 after four years, graduates earn roughly $3,000 less than the typical Parks and Recreation graduate in Ohio. When you compare that to the Ohio University system's programs, which all report median earnings around $37,000, the gap becomes clearer.

The positive here is manageable debt: at $26,000, graduates owe less than what they'd typically carry at peer institutions nationally, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79 means most borrowers should be able to handle their payments on entry-level recreation salaries. The 15% earnings growth over four years suggests steady career progression, which matters in a field where you're not starting with much financial cushion.

If your child is passionate about parks and recreation work, Bowling Green won't saddle them with crushing debt. But they should understand they're choosing a field with inherently limited earning potential, and this particular program delivers outcomes at the lower end of what's available in Ohio. The Ohio University campuses offer comparable debt with higher starting salaries—worth comparing if location flexibility exists.