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2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in West Virginia

8 Colleges in West Virginia
975 Bachelor's Degrees
$29,843 Avg Early-Career Salary
a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #13 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 8 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in West Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 975 bachelor'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 Bachelor's Degree

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in West Virginia 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:

Quality Overall Is Important

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 include 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.

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 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.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in West Virginia list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in West Virginia

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.

Top West Virginia Schools for a Bachelor's in Parks & Rec

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
455 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into American Public University System. American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the town of Charles Town.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from American Public University System

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
216 Annual Graduates

West Virginia University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. WVU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Morgantown.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from West Virginia University

3
Shepherd University crest
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV
25 Annual Graduates

Shepherd University is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the rural area of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Shepherd University

4
20 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into West Virginia Wesleyan College. West Virginia Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Buckhannon.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from West Virginia Wesleyan College

5
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, WV
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Annual Graduates

Marshall University is a fairly large public university located in the city of Huntington.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Marshall University

6
47 Annual Graduates

Fairmont State is a small public university located in the town of Fairmont.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Fairmont State University

7
West Liberty University crest
West Liberty University
West Liberty, WV
29 Annual Graduates

Located in the rural area of West Liberty, West Liberty University is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from West Liberty University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize suburb of Institute, WVSU is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from West Virginia State University

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 34 3,089
Mississippi 34 890
Florida 34 1,760
Virginia 34 1,296
Alabama 33 743
Georgia 33 1,646
Tennessee 32 2,175
South Carolina 32 1,116
Kentucky 31 861
Louisiana 31 551
Arkansas 30 720

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Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 924
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 27
Recreation Administration 24

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 148

Notes and References

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