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Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama

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2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama

22 Colleges
$33,352 Avg Salary
$27,732 Avg Student Debt

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

With 959 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #17 most popular major in Alabama.

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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama ranking. This report analyzed 22 schools in Alabama to see which ones were the most popular 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.

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

#1

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

Our 2023 rankings named The University of Alabama the most popular school in Alabama for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UA is a fairly large public school located in the city of Tuscaloosa.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Alabama

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of North Alabama is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UNA is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Florence.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UNA carry an average student debt load of $25,525.

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#3

Troy University

Troy, AL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Troy University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Alabama list. Located in the remote town of Troy, TROY is a public college with a large student population.

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

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Troy University

Out of the 22 schools in Alabama that were part of this year’s ranking, Auburn University at Montgomery landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Montgomery, AUM is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from AUM carry an average student debt load of $31,000.

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#5

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL

The excellent programs at Jacksonville State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Alabama. Located in the suburb of Jacksonville, Jacksonville State University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

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United States Sports Academy landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. The Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Daphne.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at The Academy take out is $31,000.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at United States Sports Academy

#7

Huntingdon College

Montgomery, AL

Huntingdon College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the midsize city of Montgomery, Huntingdon College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Huntingdon College carry an average student debt load of $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $257, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Huntingdon College Report

University of Alabama in Huntsville landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UAH is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Huntsville.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UAH accumulate an average of around $30,025 in student debt.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Alabama in Huntsville

#9

University of Montevallo

Montevallo, AL

University of Montevallo landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Montevallo, Montevallo is a public college with a small student population.

Parks & Rec majors at Montevallo take out an average of $25,208 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Montevallo Report

With a ranking of #10, University of South Alabama did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the medium-sized city of Mobile, USA is a public college with a large student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from USA carry an average student debt load of $30,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $325.

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

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

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 3,436
West Virginia 1,238
Florida 2,340
Virginia 1,729
Arkansas 1,012
Mississippi 1,128
South Carolina 1,339
Louisiana 703
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 22 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.

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