by our College Data Analytics Team
[Parks Recreation Leisure Studies](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/parks-recreation-leisure-studies/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a parks recreation leisure studies degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 52 schools to find where parks recreation leisure studies graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The right parks recreation leisure studies school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. That is why we built our Highest Paid Parks Recreation Leisure Studies Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose parks recreation leisure studies degrees pay off the most.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Parks Recreation Leisure Studies Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Below are the schools whose parks recreation leisure studies graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is San Jose State University, our #1 for parks recreation leisure studies graduate salaries in the United States. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State University is a public institution. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $73,198.
Students chasing top earnings in parks recreation leisure studies will find them at Brigham Young University Provo, which ranked #2. Brigham Young University Provo is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Provo. Early-career parks recreation leisure studies graduates from Brigham Young University Provo make a median of around $65,672 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in parks recreation leisure studies will find them at Arizona State University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a public institution. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,982.
Strong graduate earnings at Arizona State University Skysong earned it the #4 place for parks recreation leisure studies. Set in the city of Scottsdale, Arizona State University Skysong is a public institution. Parks Recreation Leisure Studies graduates of Arizona State University Skysong earn a median of about $56,982 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at California State University Sacramento earned it the #5 place for parks recreation leisure studies. California State University Sacramento is a public school located in the city of Sacramento. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $60,227.
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Midwestern State University came in at #6 for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Wichita Falls, Midwestern State University is a public institution. Early-career parks recreation leisure studies graduates from Midwestern State University make a median of around $47,288 per year.
Western Michigan University came in at #7 for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a public institution. Parks Recreation Leisure Studies graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of about $47,227 a year early in their careers.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver landed the #8 spot for parks recreation leisure studies salaries this year. Located in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a public institution. Early-career parks recreation leisure studies graduates from Metropolitan State College Of Denver make a median of around $52,362 per year.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earned the #9 position for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public institution. Early-career parks recreation leisure studies graduates from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign make a median of around $63,748 per year.
Ohio University Main Campus earned the #10 position for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a public institution. Parks Recreation Leisure Studies graduates of Ohio University Main Campus earn a median of about $59,913 a year early in their careers.
University Of Missouri Columbia earned the #11 position for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a public institution. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,583.
University Of Arkansas placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for parks recreation leisure studies. Located in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a public institution. After graduating, parks recreation leisure studies degree recipients from University Of Arkansas typically earn about $65,926 annually.
San Diego State University came in at #13 for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of San Diego, San Diego State University is a public institution. After graduating, parks recreation leisure studies degree recipients from San Diego State University typically earn about $62,734 annually.
California State University East Bay landed the #14 spot for parks recreation leisure studies salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Hayward, California State University East Bay is a public institution. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $43,700.
Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying parks recreation leisure studies schools. Located in the town of Kutztown, Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Early-career parks recreation leisure studies graduates from Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania make a median of around $53,562 per year.
California State University Chico landed the #16 spot for parks recreation leisure studies salaries this year. Set in the city of Chico, California State University Chico is a public institution. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,924.
University Of Iowa landed the #17 spot for parks recreation leisure studies salaries this year. University Of Iowa is a public school located in the city of Iowa City. After graduating, parks recreation leisure studies degree recipients from University Of Iowa typically earn about $51,944 annually.
Northwest Missouri State University earned the #18 position for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Maryville, Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $42,389.
University Of Utah placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for parks recreation leisure studies. Set in the city of Salt Lake City, University Of Utah is a public institution. Early-career parks recreation leisure studies graduates from University Of Utah make a median of around $50,353 per year.
University Of Northern Iowa earned the #20 position for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a public institution. Parks Recreation Leisure Studies graduates of University Of Northern Iowa earn a median of about $48,941 a year early in their careers.
Cuny Lehman College placed #21 among the highest-paying schools for parks recreation leisure studies. Located in the city of Bronx, Cuny Lehman College is a public institution. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,484.
Indiana University Bloomington placed #22 among the highest-paying schools for parks recreation leisure studies. Located in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a public institution. Parks Recreation Leisure Studies graduates of Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of about $50,444 a year early in their careers.
Oregon State University earned the #23 position for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Oregon State University is a public school located in the city of Corvallis. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,685.
Shepherd University landed the #24 spot for parks recreation leisure studies salaries this year. Shepherd University is a public school located in the rural area of Shepherdstown. After graduating, parks recreation leisure studies degree recipients from Shepherd University typically earn about $50,742 annually.
California State University Long Beach earned the #25 position for parks recreation leisure studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a public institution. Parks Recreation Leisure Studies graduates of California State University Long Beach earn a median of about $47,459 a year early in their careers.
Not far behind, these schools also produced high-earning parks recreation leisure studies graduates:
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The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their parks recreation leisure studies graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 52 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.