by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools in Pennsylvania to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,969 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The parks & rec bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. 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:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
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 bachelor's degree.
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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.
Temple University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Temple is a very large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Temple University
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Located in the fringe town of East Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Drexel University is a great decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Drexel is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Drexel University
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
LVC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small suburb of Annville.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Lebanon Valley College
Located in the fringe town of Kutztown, Kutztown University is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Gannon is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Erie.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Gannon University
Located in the city of Scranton, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Scranton
IUP is a medium-sized public university located in the distant town of Indiana.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus
Located in the midsize suburb of York, YCP is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from York College of Pennsylvania
Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 37 | 1,711 |
| New Jersey | 34 | 854 |
| Maryland | 33 | 760 |
| Delaware | 30 | 313 |
| District of Columbia | 28 | 106 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 1,746 |
| Recreation Administration | 147 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 76 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 971 |