by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy was the 459th most popular major nationwide with 870 degrees awarded. This 99 less than the prior year, a decrease of 11.4%.
This year's Best Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools ranking compares 35 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy rankings further below.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times is a required skill for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy majors. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. In addition to these basic therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program qualifications, to serve in some therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are many different therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree levels. You can get anything from a in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy to the highest therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree, a . The type of therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree you choose will determine how long it takes to get your diploma.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy, with approximately 43.9% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 54.2% |
| Master’s Degree | 26.2% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 4.9% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 4.9% |
| Doctoral Degree | 4.1% |
Most workers in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy have at least a master's degree. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy careers have.
This of course varies depending on which therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree? Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy careers are expected to grow 24.5% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | 294,000 | 25.9% |
| Recreational Therapists | 20,500 | 6.8% |
As you might expect, salaries for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | $122,320 |
| Recreational Therapists | $50,640 |
With over 80 different therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy school rankings to help you with this.
One of 15 majors within the Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions area of study, Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Physical Therapy/Therapist | 13,655 |
| Occupational Therapy | 9,958 |
| Rehabilitation Science | 1,161 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling | 1,046 |
| Art Therapy | 858 |
View All Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Related Majors >
Image Credit: By Barbara E. Carver under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
