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

11 Colleges in Minnesota
868 Bachelor's Degrees
$34,846 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #13 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 11 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Minnesota ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 868 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * 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 Minnesota Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality parks & rec program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Minnesota list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

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

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top Minnesota Schools for a Bachelor's in Parks & Rec

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Annual Graduates

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities 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 city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 Annual Graduates

Minnesota State University - Mankato is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Minnesota State University - Mankato

3
81 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies has to take a look at Winona State University. Winona State is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Winona.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Winona State University

4
48 Annual Graduates

Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the town of Saint Peter, Gustavus Adolphus 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 Gustavus Adolphus College

5
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
26 Annual Graduates

St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from St Olaf College

6
38 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota 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 Bethel University Minnesota

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Annual Graduates

Concordia University, Saint Paul is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Paul.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Concordia University, Saint Paul

8
62 Annual Graduates

UMN Duluth is a medium-sized public university located in the small city of Duluth.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Minnesota - Duluth

9
Basic Certificate Highest Degree Type
38 Annual Graduates

Southwest Minnesota State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Marshall.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Southwest Minnesota State University

10
30 Annual Graduates

MSU Moorhead is a small public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorhead.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Minnesota State University - Moorhead

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

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Missouri 35 1,095
Kansas 33 636
Iowa 32 1,345
South Dakota 31 281
Nebraska 31 375
North Dakota 30 220

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Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 788
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 40
Recreation Administration 40

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 889

Notes and References

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