Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management at Brigham Young University-Idaho

BYU-Idaho's Parks and Recreation program costs half as much as the national average ($12,567 versus $25,000), which matters because the earnings simply aren't there to justify more debt. First-year graduates earn $28,000—about $5,000 below the national median for this degree—though that gap closes somewhat as earnings grow to $34,000 by year four. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45 is manageable, but only because tuition is remarkably affordable. With just two programs in Idaho, the 60th percentile state ranking doesn't tell us much, but the 5th percentile national ranking is hard to ignore.

The core question is whether any Parks and Recreation bachelor's degree is worth pursuing when starting salaries barely crack $28,000. This program does show 22% earnings growth over four years, suggesting graduates gain traction in the field over time. The low debt load means students aren't handcuffed by payments, giving them flexibility to pursue their passion in recreation management even if the pay remains modest. For students who feel called to careers in outdoor education, park management, or community recreation and can live frugally during their twenties, the minimal debt makes this feasible.

Your child should understand they're signing up for a service-oriented career with nonprofit-level compensation, not a path to financial comfort. The advantage here is graduating without the debt burden that would make those modest salaries genuinely painful.