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Recreation Administration

Types of Degrees Recreation Administration Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Recreation Administration have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	8
Associate’s Degree	184
Bachelor’s Degree	1,644
Master’s Degree	430
Doctor’s Degree	18

What Recreation Administration Majors Need to Know

Programs in Recreation Administration emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Recreation Administration graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Recreation Administration emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Recreation Administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Recreation Administration careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Recreation Administration graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Recreation Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
IBM Notes	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Recreation Administration graduates include:

• Golf Course Manager
• Parks and Recreation Manager
• Venue Manager
• Park Superintendent
• Junior Landscape Crew Leader
• Social Activities Director
• Theme Park Manager
• Summer Camp Director
• Entertainment and Recreation Site Manager
• Recreation Director
• Pool Manager
• Recreation Specialist
• Entertainment Supervisor
• Entertainment and Recreation Program Manager
• Events and Competitions Director

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Recreation Administration graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	18.0%
Some college courses	12.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	11.4%
Postsecondary certificate	8.0%
Less than a high school diploma	5.7%
Master’s degree	4.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Recreation Administration?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 43.9% women and 56.1% men among Recreation Administration graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,006	43.9%
Men	1,285	56.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Recreation Administration graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,509	65.9%
Asian	30	1.3%
Hispanic or Latino	245	10.7%
Black or African American	273	11.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	68	3.0%
Race Unknown	91	4.0%
International Students	61	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Recreation Administration Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Recreation Administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,229
4 years	$42,118
5 years	$48,563

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,563 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Recreation Administration Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Recreation Administration. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	4
Bachelor’s	7	8
Master’s	11	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Recreation Administration Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Recreation Administration graduates earn a median of $42,118 four years after completion — roughly 11% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Parks Recreation Fitness	31
Outdoor Education	31.06
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies	31.01
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other	31.99
PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY	31.00
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	31.05

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.