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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

18 Colleges
$29,911 Avg Salary
$19,677 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #15 most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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.

The Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 18 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Our analysis found Colorado State University - Fort Collins to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Rocky Mountains Region . Colorado State is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Fort Collins.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Colorado State take out is $21,018. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $343.

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Out of the 18 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the # 2 spot on the list. BYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Provo.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at BYU accumulate an average of around $11,225 in student debt.

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Out of the 18 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Colorado landed the # 3 spot on the list. University of Northern Colorado is a large public school located in the midsize city of Greeley.

On average, parks and rec graduates from University of Northern Colorado take out $24,625 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $327.

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#4

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

Out of the 18 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Salt Lake City, U of U is a public school with a very large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from U of U take out $21,061 in student loans while working on their degree.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Weber State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the small city of Ogden, WSU is a public college with a very large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from WSU take out $13,814 in student loans while working on their degree.

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Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in the city of Denver, MSU Denver is a public college with a large student population.

Parks & Rec majors at MSU Denver take out an average of $23,739 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#7

University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY

With a ranking of #7, University of Wyoming did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the remote town of Laramie, UW is a public school with a large student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UW take out is $20,500.

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#8

University of Idaho

Moscow, ID

University of Idaho did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the town of Moscow, U of I is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at U of I take out is $23,562.

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#9

Adams State University

Alamosa, CO

Adams State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Alamosa, Adams State is a public school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Adams State take out is $24,000.

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With a ranking of #10, Lewis - Clark State College did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the city of Lewiston, Lewis - Clark State College is a public school with a small student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Lewis - Clark State College take out $22,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains region.

State Degrees Awarded
Colorado 1,093
Utah 1,178
Montana 94
Idaho 249
Wyoming 126

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

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 18 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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