2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in Texas
When it comes to popularity, a master's degree in
parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies sits in the middle of the road, ranking #16 out of 37 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 21 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in Texas ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 846 master's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for Your Master's Degree
Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
Quality Overall Is Important
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average Earnings
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their master's degree.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in Texas list to help you make the college decision.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Texas
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.
10 Top Texas Schools for a Master's in Parks & Rec
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
70
Annual Graduates
Texas A&M University - College Station is a good choice for students interested in a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public university located in the city of College Station.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Texas A&M University - College Station
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
27
Annual Graduates
Baylor University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Baylor University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
46
Annual Graduates
Southern Methodist University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Southern Methodist University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
68
Annual Graduates
Any student who is interested in a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into Tarleton State University. Located in the remote town of Stephenville, Tarleton is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Tarleton State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
39
Annual Graduates
Located in the large city of Lubbock, Texas Tech is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Texas Tech University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
53
Annual Graduates
Texas State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of San Marcos.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Texas State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
55
Annual Graduates
UNT is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Denton.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of North Texas
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
14
Annual Graduates
SHSU is a fairly large public university located in the town of Huntsville.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Sam Houston State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
37
Annual Graduates
UT Rio Grande Valley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Edinburg.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
20
Annual Graduates
TWU is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Denton.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Texas Woman’s University