2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Virginia
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
With 1,729 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #18 most popular major in Virginia.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 11 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia
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 2023 rankings named University of Virginia - Main Campus the best school in Virginia for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.
Parks & Rec majors at University of Virginia take out an average of $20,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Shenandoah University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Virginia list. Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winchester.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Shenandoah accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Shenandoah University Report
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The excellent programs at James Madison University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Virginia. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at JMU accumulate an average of around $21,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $335.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means George Mason University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. GMU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from GMU carry an average student debtload of $22,351.
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The excellent programs at Old Dominion University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Virginia. Old Dominion is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Norfolk.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Old Dominion accumulate an average of around $25,063 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $205, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Roanoke College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Salem, Roanoke is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Parks & Rec majors at Roanoke take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $300.
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With a ranking of #7, Radford University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Radford take out is $26,239. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $166.
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Hampton University 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 midsize city of Hampton, Hampton is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Hampton accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $1,000.
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Liberty University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Virginia list. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Lynchburg.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Liberty University carry an average student debtload of $26,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $435.
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Randolph College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Virginia ranking. Randolph is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Lynchburg.
Parks & Rec majors at Randolph take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Request InformationBest Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 3,436 |
| West Virginia | 1,238 |
| Mississippi | 1,128 |
| South Carolina | 1,339 |
| Florida | 2,340 |
| Arkansas | 1,012 |
| Alabama | 959 |
| Kentucky | 1,141 |
| Georgia | 1,981 |
| Tennessee | 2,462 |
| Louisiana | 703 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Virginia
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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 11 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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