2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 3,106 people earned a degree or certificate in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the #169 most popular in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 123 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for parks and rec majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 15% Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Indiana University - Bloomington the most popular school in the United States for parks, recreation and leisure studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public college with a very large student population.
About 78% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 22% are male.
Parks & Rec majors at IU Bloomington take out an average of $18,947 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $478.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington Report
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The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in the United States. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
About 74% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 26% are male.
When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $272.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Missouri - Columbia is a great place for parks, recreation and leisure studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Mizzou is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Columbia.
Women make up 25% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Mizzou take out $22,468 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $277.
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The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Brigham Young University - Provo helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in the United States. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Provo.
Of the 110 students majoring in parks and rec at BYU, 28% are male and 72% are female.
Parks & Rec majors at BYU take out an average of $12,419 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo Report
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great place for parks, recreation and leisure studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Champaign.
Women make up 38% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UIUC take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $19,274. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $226.
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With a ranking of #6, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a very large student population.
About 60% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 40% are male.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Sac State take out $20,748 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Kutztown University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for parks, recreation and leisure studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Kutztown University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Kutztown.
About 24% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 76% are male.
Parks & Rec majors at Kutztown University take out an average of $27,196 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $197.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Report
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California State University - Chico landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. Chico State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Chico.
About 74% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 26% are male.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Chico State take out $18,257 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. CSULB is a very large public school located in the large city of Long Beach.
Women make up 58% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec graduates from CSULB carry an average student debt load of $17,828.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Long Beach Report
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University of Arkansas came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Of the 77 students majoring in parks and rec at UARK, 77% are male and 23% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec majors at UARK accumulate an average of around $21,792 in student debt.
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. UNC Greensboro is a large public school located in the large city of Greensboro.
About 83% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 17% are male.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec majors at UNC Greensboro accumulate an average of around $25,505 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $107.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro Report
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University of Utah came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City, U of U is a public college with a very large student population.
Women make up 44% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at U of U take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $20,565.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Utah Report
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University of Nebraska at Kearney ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the distant town of Kearney, UNK is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
About 60% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 40% are male.
On average, parks and rec graduates from UNK take out $18,511 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $133.
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With a ranking of #14, University of Iowa did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public school with a fairly large student population.
When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $517.
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Northern Arizona University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for parks, recreation and leisure studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public school with a very large student population.
About 46% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 54% are male.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at NAU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $24,207.
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Georgia Southern University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. Located in the town of Statesboro, GaSou is a public college with a very large student population.
About 69% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 31% are male.
When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $141.
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University of Northern Iowa ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Of the 51 students majoring in parks and rec at UNI, 25% are male and 75% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec majors at UNI accumulate an average of around $22,350 in student debt.
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Western Washington University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. WWU is a large public school located in the small city of Bellingham.
Women make up 48% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, parks and rec majors at WWU accumulate an average of around $20,220 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $319.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Western Washington University Report
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Here are some additional popular schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students that almost earned our Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| 20 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green, OH |
| 21 | Radford University | Radford, VA |
| 22 | San Jose State University | San Jose, CA |
| 23 | California State University - Fresno | Fresno, CA |
| 24 | Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville, AL |
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies by Region
View the Most Popular Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Related Majors
One of 4 majors within the area of study, parks, recreation and leisure studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Parks & Rec
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 67,146 |
| Recreation Administration | 3,122 |
| Outdoor Education | 265 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 174 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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.
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