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Most Popular Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

2026 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools

There are 1,489 colleges that offer a degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness. Learn more about the most popular schools below:

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

With all the Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick-and-mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school halfway across the country without even leaving your house.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 1,489 schools in the United States offering Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools.

The most popular school in the United States for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness students is American Public University System. American Public University System is a private for-profit school located in Charles Town, WV. This school awarded 683 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $57,877. Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at American Public University System

Texas A&M University-College Station landed the #2 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Texas A&M University-College Station is a public school located in College Station, TX. This school awarded 682 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $54,018. Read More…

California State University-Fullerton landed the #3 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Located in Fullerton, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 633 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $39,215. Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at California State University-Fullerton Report

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. University of Iowa is a public school located in Iowa City, IA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 578 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $47,110. Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at University of Iowa

Indiana University-Bloomington landed the #5 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Indiana University-Bloomington is a public school located in Bloomington, IN. During the most recent year for which we have data, 539 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,621. Read More…

Mt San Antonio College landed the #6 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Mt San Antonio College is a public school located in Walnut, CA. This school awarded 490 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $38,033. Read More…

#7

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX

Texas State University landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Located in San Marcos, TX, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 483 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $42,210. Read More…

#8

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

University of Memphis comes in at #8 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. Located in Memphis, TN, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 471 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $42,466. Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at University of Memphis Report

University of Central Florida comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. Located in Orlando, FL, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 465 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,960. Read More…

#10

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

University of Florida comes in at #10 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. Located in Gainesville, FL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 464 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,898. Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at University of Florida

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville landed the #11 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public school located in Knoxville, TN. During the most recent year for which we have data, 438 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $44,937. Read More…

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

San Diego State University comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. Located in San Diego, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 428 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $42,235. Read More…

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #13 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public school located in Chapel Hill, NC. This school awarded 414 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,058. Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report

#14

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University landed the #14 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Liberty University is a private nonprofit school located in Lynchburg, VA. This school awarded 403 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,414. Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at Liberty University Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio comes in at #15 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public school located in San Antonio, TX. This school awarded 393 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,863. Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at The University of Texas at San Antonio Report

California State University-Long Beach comes in at #16 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. Located in Long Beach, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 384 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $38,082. Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at California State University-Long Beach

#17

University of Houston

Houston, TX

University of Houston landed the #17 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. University of Houston is a public school located in Houston, TX. During the most recent year for which we have data, 384 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,424. Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at University of Houston Report

#18

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, CA

College of the Canyons landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Located in Santa Clarita, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 378 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $35,362. Read More…

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 377 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,597. Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Report

California State University-Sacramento comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. California State University-Sacramento is a public school located in Sacramento, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 371 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $42,434. Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at California State University-Sacramento

#21

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL

Concordia University-Chicago comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. Located in River Forest, IL, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 366 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $58,149. Read More…

#22

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA

Georgia Southern University landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Located in Statesboro, GA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 361 degrees in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $43,987. Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness at Georgia Southern University Report

California State University-Fresno comes in at #23 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. Located in Fresno, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 354 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $36,356. Read More…

California State University-Northridge comes in at #24 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness majors. California State University-Northridge is a public school located in Northridge, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 351 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $36,905. Read More…

#25

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX

Tarleton State University landed the #25 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking. Located in Stephenville, TX, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 345 people earned their degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $45,879. Read More…

#26

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
#27

University of Georgia

Athens, GA
#31

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
#32

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ
#35

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL
#39

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA
#41

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, GA
#42

Miami University-Oxford

Oxford, OH
#45

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL
#50

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.

Rank College Location
51 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
52 California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
53 Towson University Towson, MD
54 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
55 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI
56 Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH
57 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
58 Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH
59 California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
60 Iowa State University Ames, IA
61 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
62 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
63 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
64 California State University-Chico Chico, CA
65 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
66 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
67 University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC
68 Bryan University Tempe, AZ
69 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
70 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
71 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
72 Cabrillo College Aptos, CA
73 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
74 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
75 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
76 Illinois State University Normal, IL
77 Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR
78 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
79 Utah State University Logan, UT
80 California Baptist University Riverside, CA
81 Clemson University Clemson, SC
82 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
83 The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
84 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
85 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA
86 University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD
87 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
88 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
89 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
90 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
91 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
92 University of Delaware Newark, DE
93 North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC
94 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
95 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
96 University of Mississippi University, MS
97 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK
98 California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA
99 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
100 Shasta College Redding, CA
101 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
102 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
103 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
104 California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA
105 Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN
106 Springfield College Springfield, MA
107 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA
108 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
109 Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK
110 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
111 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
112 Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL
113 SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY
114 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
115 Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO
116 University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL
117 Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN
118 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
119 California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
120 NUC University Bayamon, PR
121 Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, TX
122 University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
123 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
124 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH
125 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
126 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
127 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
128 Concordia University-Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN
129 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
130 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
131 Georgetown University Washington, DC
132 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
133 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
134 Utah Tech University Saint George, UT
135 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
136 Baylor University Waco, TX
137 University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA
138 California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
139 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
140 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
141 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
142 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
143 Wingate University Wingate, NC
144 Endicott College Beverly, MA
145 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
146 Victor Valley College Victorville, CA
147 Ball State University Muncie, IN
148 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
149 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
150 Riverside City College Riverside, CA
151 Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO
152 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
153 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
154 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
155 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA
156 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
157 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
158 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
159 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
160 Canisius University Buffalo, NY
161 Elon University Elon, NC
162 Logan University Chesterfield, MO
163 Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
164 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
165 East Central University Ada, OK
166 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
167 California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
168 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
169 Focus Personal Training Institute New York, NY
170 Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA
171 Merrimack College North Andover, MA
172 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
173 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
174 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
175 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
176 Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA
177 Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT
178 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX
179 University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO
180 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA
181 Monroe University Bronx, NY
182 University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
183 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH
184 High Point University High Point, NC
185 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
186 Troy University Troy, AL
187 East Texas A&M University Commerce, TX
188 Fresno City College Fresno, CA
189 University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA
190 University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
191 Angelo State University San Angelo, TX
192 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
193 Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA
194 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
195 University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL
196 Campbell University Buies Creek, NC
197 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
198 Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA
199 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
200 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT

Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness by Region

View the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools ranking for a specific region near you.

Region
New England
Middle Atlantic
Great Lakes
Plains States
Southeast
Southwest
Rocky Mountains
Far Western US

More Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Rankings

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 65,261
Recreation Administration 2,291
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 2,155
Other Parks & Recreation Studies 355
Outdoor Education 336

References

*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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