2025 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southwest Region
5
Colleges in the Southwest Region
259
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
If you plan on majoring in
parks, recreation & leisure studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #218 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 5 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 259 degrees in parks, recreation & leisure studies annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School
Your choice of parks, recreation & leisure studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Pick Your Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southwest Region
The schools below may not offer all types of parks & rec degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
Top Southwest Region Schools in Parks & Rec
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In AZ
Every student pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies needs to take a look at Arizona State University - Tempe. Located in the city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #108 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.
There were approximately 15 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Arizona State University - Tempe
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In AZ
68
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
Northern Arizona University is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. NAU is a very large public university located in the city of Flagstaff. A Best Colleges rank of #221 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NAU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 68 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Northern Arizona University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In OK
43
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a good option for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the town of Stillwater, OSU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 31 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.
There were roughly 43 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at OSU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In AZ
39
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
Arizona State University - Skysong is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public university located in the city of Scottsdale. This university ranks 8th out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.
There were about 39 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Skysong in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Arizona State University - Skysong
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In OK
Located in the suburb of Edmond, UCO is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 31 schools for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.
There were approximately 6 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UCO in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Central Oklahoma
