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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia

5 Colleges
$31,545 Avg Salary
$25,400 Avg Student Debt

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

Out of the majors we analyze each year, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies was ranked 7th in West Virginia. In fact, 1,238 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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 West Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 5 schools in West Virginia 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 West Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges.

Top West Virginia Schools in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

Our 2023 rankings named American Public University System the best school in West Virginia for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at American Military University accumulate an average of around $21,148 in student debt.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Public University System

#2

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Virginia University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in West Virginia list. WVU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Morgantown.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at WVU take out is $25,098. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $450.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Virginia University Report

The excellent programs at Alderson Broaddus University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in West Virginia. Located in the distant town of Philippi, Alderson Broaddus University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Alderson Broaddus University accumulate an average of around $26,157 in student debt.

Read More…

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means West Virginia Wesleyan College is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the remote town of Buckhannon, West Virginia Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at West Virginia Wesleyan take out is $27,000.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Virginia Wesleyan College

#5

Marshall University

Huntington, WV

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Marshall University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the small city of Huntington, Marshall University is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Marshall University accumulate an average of around $25,250 in student debt.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Marshall University Report

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 3,436
South Carolina 1,339
Florida 2,340
Virginia 1,729
Arkansas 1,012
Mississippi 1,128
Louisiana 703
Alabama 959
Kentucky 1,141
Georgia 1,981
Tennessee 2,462

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 5 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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