2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region
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. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 65 schools in the Southwest Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southwest 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 Rice University to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Southwest Region . Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Houston.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Rice carry an average student debtload of $10,000.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Southern Methodist University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Dallas.
Parks & Rec majors at SMU take out an average of $21,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the remote town of Alva, NWOSU is a public college with a small student population.
Parks & Rec majors at NWOSU take out an average of $20,125 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region list. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin.
On average, parks and rec graduates from UT Austin take out $21,765 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $385, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Texas A&M College Station take out $19,500 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $345.
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With a ranking of #6, Grand Canyon University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Grand Canyon University take out is $26,999. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $233.
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With a ranking of #7, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. ASU - Skysong is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Scottsdale.
Parks & Rec majors at ASU - Skysong take out an average of $23,467 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $453.
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Lubbock Christian University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. LCU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Lubbock.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from LCU carry an average student debtload of $28,750.
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University of Houston - Clear Lake ranked #9 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Southwest Region list. UH Clear Lake is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Houston.
Parks & Rec majors at UH Clear Lake take out an average of $18,785 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Tarleton State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Tarleton is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Stephenville.
Parks & Rec majors at Tarleton take out an average of $23,250 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $152.
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Request InformationHonorable Mentions
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 Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Saint Edward’s University | Austin, TX |
| 12 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX |
| 13 | Oklahoma Panhandle State University | Goodwell, OK |
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 Southwest region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 1,071 |
| Texas | 7,380 |
| New Mexico | 141 |
| Oklahoma | 1,179 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in the Southwest Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Related Rankings by Major
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 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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