2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies was ranked #15 in the country. In fact 73,813 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.
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 Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 65 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones were the most popular master's degree programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Check out the parks and rec master's degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the Great Lakes Region .
Top 10 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Concordia University, Chicago the most popular school in the Great Lakes Region for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of River Forest.
About 47% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 53% are male.
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The in-demand master’s degree programs at Ohio University - Athens Campus helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the distant town of Athens, OHIO Athens is a public school with a very large student population.
About 33% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 67% are male.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ohio University - Athens Campus Report
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Out of the 65 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Normal.
Of the 67 students majoring in parks and rec at Illinois State, 46% are male and 54% are female.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University
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The in-demand master’s degree programs at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
Of the 64 students majoring in parks and rec at SIUE, 50% are male and 50% are female.
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The in-demand master’s degree programs at Northwestern University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Of the 62 students majoring in parks and rec at Northwestern, 77% are male and 23% are female.
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University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UC is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati.
Women make up 45% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Report
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Wayne State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Detroit.
Women make up 37% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wayne State University Report
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 55% of the parks and rec majors at the school.
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With a ranking of #9, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their master’s degree. IU Bloomington is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Bloomington.
About 63% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 37% are male.
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University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a fairly large student population.
About 29% of the students majoring in parks and rec at the school are women while 71% are male.
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Here are some additional popular schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Western Illinois University | Macomb, IL |
| 12 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 13 | Miami University - Oxford | Oxford, OH |
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 1,818 |
| Michigan | 2,279 |
| Ohio | 2,647 |
| Illinois | 2,396 |
| Wisconsin | 1,001 |
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 |
Majors Similar to Parks & Rec
| 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.
- 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.