Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

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

Find Schools Near

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

30 Colleges
$30,291 Avg Salary
$24,746 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 8th in Tennessee. In fact, 2,462 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. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

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 in Tennessee ranking. This report analyzed 30 schools in Tennessee 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 colleges and universities below are the most popular for parks and rec majors pursuing a .

#1

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

Our analysis found University of Memphis to be the most popular school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. UofM is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis.

On average, parks and rec graduates from UofM take out $28,671 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $176, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the midsize city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UT Knoxville carry an average student debt load of $22,659. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $391.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Middle Tennessee State University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Middle Tennessee State University take out $27,333 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $130.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Middle Tennessee State University

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the midsize city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public school with a large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from UT Chattanooga take out $22,500 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $170.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Report

#5

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Austin Peay State University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the medium-sized city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Austin Peay State University take out is $25,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $156.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Austin Peay State University

East Tennessee State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. ETSU is a large public school located in the small city of Johnson City.

Parks & Rec majors at ETSU take out an average of $23,073 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $309.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Technological University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Parks & Rec majors at Tennessee Tech University take out an average of $16,579 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

The University of Tennessee - Martin came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee ranking. UT Martin is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Martin.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UT Martin take out is $21,925. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $138, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Tennessee - Martin

#9

Belmont University

Nashville, TN

Belmont University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Belmont accumulate an average of around $18,473 in student debt.

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

#10

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN

Tennessee State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Parks & Rec majors at Tennessee State University take out an average of $31,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $210.

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

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
Alabama 959
Kentucky 1,141
Georgia 1,981

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 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.