by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 47 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,872 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation & leisure studies to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The parks & rec bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality parks & rec program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for parks, recreation & leisure studies students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for parks, recreation & leisure studies students seeking a a bachelor's degree.
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies has to check out Indiana University - Bloomington. IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the city of Bloomington.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn about $35,429 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Indiana University - Bloomington
It's difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career income of $34,742.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
California State University - Long Beach is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Long Beach.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career income of $35,532.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California State University - Long Beach
University of Iowa is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Iowa is a very large public university located in the city of Iowa City.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies bachelor's degree recipients from University of Iowa receive an earnings boost of about $3,371 above the average income of parks, recreation & leisure studies majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Iowa
Located in the midsize city of Chico, Chico State is a public university with a large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career wages of $33,920.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California State University - Chico
ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tempe.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies bachelor's degree recipients from Arizona State University - Tempe get an earnings boost of approximately $9,417 above the average income of parks, recreation & leisure studies majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Arizona State University - Tempe
Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.
Those parks, recreation & leisure studies students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Northern Iowa make $3,501 more than the standard parks & rec student.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Northern Iowa
Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the parks, recreation & leisure studies major at California State University - Sacramento earn $6,606 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California State University - Sacramento
SFSU is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Francisco.
Soon after graduating, parks & rec bachelor's recipients usually make an average of $28,427 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from San Francisco State University
U of U is a very large public university located in the city of Salt Lake City.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies bachelor's degree recipients from University of Utah receive an earnings boost of approximately $3,277 above the typical earnings of parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of UtahHere are some additional great schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students that almost earned our Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | University of Missouri - Columbia | Columbia, MO |
| 12 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, AZ |
| 13 | Ohio University - Athens Campus | Athens, OH |
| 14 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 15 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR |
View the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 4 majors within the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies area of study, Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 1,872 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 48,205 |
| Recreation Administration | 1,876 |
| Outdoor Education | 151 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 148 |