2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 294 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best master's degree 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.
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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
Check out the parks and rec master's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Schools for a Master's in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness
Our analysis found University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the United States. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out of the 294 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public college with a large student population.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Dakota State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools list. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
Out of the 294 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Saint Cloud State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public college with a large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saint Cloud State University Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus Report
With a ranking of #8, North Carolina State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public school with a very large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina State University Report
American Public University System came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools ranking. American Military University is a fairly 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
University of Arkansas ranked #10 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools list. UARK is a very large public school located in the city of Fayetteville.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Arkansas Report
Southern Methodist University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern Methodist University
Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Texas A&M College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas A&M University - College Station Report
With a ranking of #13, Concordia University, Irvine did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Irvine, Concordia University, Irvine is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine Report
Georgetown University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Georgetown University Report
University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #15 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
University of Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Florida Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a fairly large student population.
With a ranking of #19, Grace College and Theological Seminary did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. Grace College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Winona Lake.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Grace College and Theological Seminary Report
Concordia University, Nebraska came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Concordia University, Nebraska is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Seward.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #21 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public college with a very large student population.
Iowa State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a very large student population.
With a ranking of #23, University of Iowa did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the city of Iowa City.
United States Sports Academy ranked #24 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Daphne, The Academy is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at United States Sports Academy Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Rest of the Top Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | Seattle University | Seattle, WA |
| 46 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 47 | West Texas A&M University | Canyon, TX |
| 48 | Gonzaga University | Spokane, WA |
| 49 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | Charleston, SC |
| 50 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL |
| 51 | University of Missouri - Columbia | Columbia, MO |
| 52 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins | Fort Collins, CO |
| 53 | Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 54 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 55 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN |
| 56 | Kean University | Union, NJ |
| 57 | Washington State University | Pullman, WA |
| 58 | University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia, SC |
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies by Region
View the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master'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 |
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.
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