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Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies

Types of Degrees Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	24
Associate’s Degree	123
Bachelor’s Degree	1,719
Master’s Degree	276
Doctor’s Degree	13

What Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Majors Need to Know

Studies in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Student record software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Dartfish ProSuite	Video creation and editing software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates include:

• Kinesiology Professor
• Health and Physical Education Instructor (HPE Instructor)
• Fitness Studies Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Physical Fitness Teacher
• Physical Education Teacher (PE Teacher)
• Aquatic Instructor
• Professor
• Physical Education Instructor (PE Instructor)
• Exercise Teacher
• Sports Management Professor
• Exercise Science Instructor
• College Professor
• Education Programs Professional
• Wellness and Activities Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	74.2%
Master’s degree	20.8%
Bachelor’s degree	5.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 52.2% women and 47.8% men among Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,124	52.2%
Men	1,031	47.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,403	65.1%
Asian	73	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	275	12.8%
Black or African American	202	9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.4%
Two or More Races	89	4.1%
Race Unknown	56	2.6%
International Students	41	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,839
4 years	$45,076
5 years	$51,746

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,746 — roughly 49% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	6	2
Bachelor’s	4	6
Master’s	2	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates earn a median of $45,076 four years after completion — roughly 19% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Parks Recreation Fitness	31
Outdoor Education	31.06
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management	31.03
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other	31.99
PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY	31.00
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	31.05

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.