2026 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Iowa

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Iowa

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in Iowa

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall parks, recreation & leisure studies education in Iowa.

Top Schools in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies

1

University Of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

12 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degrees Awarded

$37,103 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than University Of Iowa this year for parks, recreation & leisure studies. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. About 75% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 12 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at University Of Iowa in the most recent data year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from University Of Iowa earn around $37,103 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,691 to complete this degree. See the full parks, recreation & leisure studies program report for University Of Iowa

2

University Of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA

23 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degrees Awarded

$37,233 Median Starting Salary

University Of Northern Iowa is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies, landing the #2 spot this year. This large public university is located in the city of Cedar Falls. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. There were roughly 23 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at University Of Northern Iowa in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of University Of Northern Iowa earn a median of $37,233 early in their careers. University Of Northern Iowa graduates carry a median of $23,907 in student loans. Get the full parks, recreation & leisure studies details for University Of Northern Iowa

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 2 schools evaluated.

• 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.