by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 7 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 343 doctor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The parks & rec doctor'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.
The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree 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 doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
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, & fitness studies students working on their doctor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students seeking a a doctor's degree.
Clemson University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Clemson is a very large public university located in the suburb of Clemson.More information about a doctorate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Clemson University
Every student who is interested in a doctor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to check out Indiana University - Bloomington. IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the small city of Bloomington.More information about a doctorate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Georgia is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Georgia
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of River Forest.More information about a doctorate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Concordia University, Chicago
UNC Greensboro is a large public university located in the city of Greensboro.More information about a doctorate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The Academy is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Daphne.More information about a doctorate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from United States Sports Academy
View the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 305 |
| Recreation Administration | 21 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 14 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 3 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 1,692 |