2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Graduate Certificate Schools
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Graduate Certificate School for You
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned a degree or certificate in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the #15 most popular in the United States.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Graduate Certificate Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 36 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best graduate certificate programs for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Graduate Certificate Colleges.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Graduate Certificate Schools
Our 2023 rankings named American Public University System the best school in the United States for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their graduate certificate. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Public University System Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Graduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
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Out of the 36 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Citadel Military College of South Carolina landed the # 3 spot on the list. The Citadel is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Charleston.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Columbia University in the City of New York is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their graduate certificate. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means North Carolina State University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public college with a very large student population.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina State University
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Shenandoah University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #6 on the list. Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Winchester.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Shenandoah University
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Drexel University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Drexel is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.
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Clemson University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Clemson University Report
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University of Iowa landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Iowa is a very large public school located in the small city of Iowa City.
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University of Florida landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Request InformationParks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies by Region
View the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Graduate Certificate Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings
Rankings in Majors Related to Parks & Rec
Parks & Rec Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 67,146 |
| Recreation Administration | 3,122 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 3,106 |
| Outdoor Education | 265 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 174 |
Majors Similar to Parks & Rec
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting | 142,610 |
| Public Administration & Social Service | 98,583 |
| Legal Professions | 61,055 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 4,477 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
More about our data sources and methodologies.