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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major

972 Ranked Colleges
53,672 Degrees Awarded
$28,997 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,741 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $31,466 and had an average of $24,117 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 53,672 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major” ranking looked at 972 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies

1

Out of the 972 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Jarvis Christian College landed the #1 spot on the list. Hawkins, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The Bulldogs

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ottawa University - Ottawa. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Ottawa University - Ottawa is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ottawa, Kansas. It awarded 27 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ottawa University - Ottawa

3
Emmanuel College crest
Emmanuel College
Franklin Springs, Georgia

Out of the 972 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Emmanuel College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Franklin Springs, Georgia, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Emmanuel College

4
Voorhees College crest
Voorhees College
Denmark, South Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Voorhees College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major. Denmark, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 14 students in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Voorhees College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

5
Huntingdon College crest
Huntingdon College
Montgomery, Alabama

Out of the 972 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Huntingdon College landed the #5 spot on the list. Huntingdon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Montgomery, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Huntingdon College

6
Chowan University crest
Chowan University
Murfreesboro, North Carolina

With a ranking of #6, Chowan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. This small school is located in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Chowan University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

7
Alice Lloyd crest
Alice Lloyd College
Pippa Passes, Kentucky

Alice Lloyd College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #7. Alice Lloyd is a small school located in Pippa Passes, Kentucky that handed out 14 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Alice Lloyd Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

8
Ecclesia College crest
Ecclesia College
Springdale, Arkansas

Ecclesia College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. This small school is located in Springdale, Arkansas, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ecclesia College

9
Bethany College Kansas crest
Bethany College Kansas
Lindsborg, Kansas

Bethany College Kansas came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. Located in Lindsborg, Kansas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Bethany College Kansas

10
Newberry College crest
Newberry College
Newberry, South Carolina

Newberry College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Newberry College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Newberry, South Carolina. It awarded 58 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Newberry College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

11
Crowley's Ridge College crest
Crowley's Ridge College
Paragould, Arkansas

With a ranking of #11, Crowley’s Ridge College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Crowley’s Ridge College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Paragould, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Crowley’s Ridge College

12

Southwestern Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Bethany, Oklahoma, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

Full SCU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

13

With a ranking of #13, William Penn University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. William Penn University is a small school located in Oskaloosa, Iowa that handed out 28 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William Penn University

14
Brevard College crest
Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina

Brevard College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Brevard College is located in Brevard, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Brevard College

15

16

Huston - Tillotson University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. Huston - Tillotson University is a small school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 26 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Huston - Tillotson University

17

United States Sports Academy ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. United States Sports Academy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Daphne, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The Academy

18
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York

SUNY Cortland did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #18. Cortland, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 249 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SUNY Cortland

19
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, Indiana

Trine University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Trine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Angola, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

20
SAU crest
Saint Augustine's University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #20, Saint Augustine’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. SAU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Saint Augustine’s University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

20
CBC crest
Central Baptist College
Conway, Arkansas

Central Baptist College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #20. CBC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Conway, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Central Baptist College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

22
Alderson Broaddus University crest
Alderson Broaddus University
Philippi, West Virginia

Alderson Broaddus University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Alderson Broaddus University is a small school located in Philippi, West Virginia that handed out 27 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

23
LVC crest
Lebanon Valley College
Annville, Pennsylvania

Lebanon Valley College ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Annville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 77 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lebanon Valley College

24

Ottawa University - Surprise landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. Ottawa University - Surprise is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Surprise, Arizona. It awarded 23 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ottawa University - Surprise

25
Missouri Valley College crest
Missouri Valley College
Marshall, Missouri

Missouri Valley College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Missouri Valley College is a small school located in Marshall, Missouri that handed out 35 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Missouri Valley College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Bacone College crest
Bacone College
Muskogee, OK
27
Defiance College crest
Defiance College
Defiance, OH
28
Livingstone College crest
Livingstone College
Salisbury, NC
29
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, IL
30
31
32
Adrian crest
Adrian College
Adrian, MI
33
Bridgewater crest
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, VA
34
35
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, CA
36
37
38
39
Guilford crest
Guilford College
Greensboro, NC
40
41
42
Tabor crest
Tabor College
Hillsboro, KS
43
Carroll U crest
Carroll University
Waukesha, WI
44
Sterling College crest
Sterling College
Sterling, KS
45
46
47
Allen U crest
Allen University
Columbia, SC
48
Union College crest
Union College Kentucky
Barbourville, KY
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Coker UniversityHartsville, SC
52Webber International UniversityBabson Park, FL
53Westminster College MissouriFulton, MO
54Westmont CollegeSanta Barbara, CA
55Tougaloo CollegeTougaloo, MS
56Catawba CollegeSalisbury, NC
57Shaw UniversityRaleigh, NC
58Springfield CollegeSpringfield, MA
59Franklin CollegeFranklin, IN
60McPherson CollegeMcPherson, KS
61University of MemphisMemphis, TN
62Colby - Sawyer CollegeNew London, NH
63Martin Methodist CollegePulaski, TN
64Fort Lewis CollegeDurango, CO
65Castleton UniversityCastleton, VT
RankCollegeLocation
66Lees - McRae CollegeBanner Elk, NC
67Wingate UniversityWingate, NC
68Blue Mountain CollegeBlue Mountain, MS
69Mitchell CollegeNew London, CT
70Benedict CollegeColumbia, SC
71Heidelberg UniversityTiffin, OH
72Brewton - Parker CollegeMount Vernon, GA
73Randall UniversityMoore, OK
74Bluffton UniversityBluffton, OH
75Olivet CollegeOlivet, MI
76Nichols CollegeDudley, MA
77Sterling CollegeCraftsbury Common, VT
78Lock Haven UniversityLock Haven, PA
79Wilmington CollegeWilmington, OH
80Mississippi Valley State UniversityItta Bena, MS
81Emory and Henry CollegeEmory, VA
82Eureka CollegeEureka, IL
83Elizabeth City State UniversityElizabeth City, NC
84Central State UniversityWilberforce, OH
85Winston - Salem State UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
86Roanoke CollegeSalem, VA
87Hanover CollegeHanover, IN
88St. Thomas Aquinas CollegeSparkill, NY
89Warner Pacific UniversityPortland, OR
90Warner UniversityLake Wales, FL
RankCollegeLocation
91Grand View UniversityDes Moines, IA
92Davis & Elkins CollegeElkins, WV
93Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, NE
94Ferrum CollegeFerrum, VA
95Methodist UniversityFayetteville, NC
96Ohio Wesleyan UniversityDelaware, OH
97University of Pittsburgh - BradfordBradford, PA
98Northwestern Oklahoma State UniversityAlva, OK
99William Peace UniversityRaleigh, NC
100Eastern Oregon UniversityLa Grande, OR
101Cornell CollegeMount Vernon, IA
102Manchester UniversityNorth Manchester, IN
103Averett UniversityDanville, VA
104Philander Smith CollegeLittle Rock, AR
104Mount Marty UniversityYankton, SD
106Pfeiffer UniversityMisenheimer, NC
107Barton CollegeWilson, NC
108Loras CollegeDubuque, IA
109Berry CollegeMount Berry, GA
110North Greenville UniversityTigerville, SC
111St. Andrews UniversityLaurinburg, NC
112Wittenberg UniversitySpringfield, OH
113Holy Names UniversityOakland, CA
114The University of Tennessee - ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN
115University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
RankCollegeLocation
116The College at BrockportBrockport, NY
117Morris CollegeSumter, SC
118Lasell UniversityNewton, MA
119Northern Vermont UniversityJohnson, VT
120Hastings CollegeHastings, NE
121University of Science and Arts of OklahomaChickasha, OK
122Concordia University, Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI
123Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport, IA
124Culver - Stockton CollegeCanton, MO
125Keystone CollegeLa Plume, PA
126Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & SciencesFayette, MO
127West Virginia Wesleyan CollegeBuckhannon, WV
128University of South Carolina - AikenAiken, SC
129University of MontevalloMontevallo, AL
130Howard Payne UniversityBrownwood, TX
131Midway UniversityMidway, KY
132Colorado Mesa UniversityGrand Junction, CO
133Dean CollegeFranklin, MA
134The University of Tennessee - MartinMartin, TN
135Southwest Minnesota State UniversityMarshall, MN
136Schreiner UniversityKerrville, TX
137Linfield University - McMinnville CampusMcMinnville, OR
138University of Sioux FallsSioux Falls, SD
139California State University - Monterey BaySeaside, CA
140Sul Ross State UniversityAlpine, TX
RankCollegeLocation
141Missouri Western State UniversitySaint Joseph, MO
142Central Christian College of KansasMcPherson, KS
142Maryville CollegeMaryville, TN
144East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg, PA
145Lenoir - Rhyne UniversityHickory, NC
146Delaware State UniversityDover, DE

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