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2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Indiana

14 Colleges in Indiana
1,770 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,494 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #15 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 14 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Indiana ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,770 degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Indiana The parks & rec program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies rankings. We derive our Best Overall Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Parks & Rec
Master's Degrees in Parks & Rec
Doctor's Degrees in Parks & Rec

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Indiana ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to 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.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Indiana

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the parks & rec degree levels they offer.

10 Top Indiana Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
579 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$36,525 Median Starting Salary

Indiana University - Bloomington is a great option for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were about 579 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from Indiana University - Bloomington get an earnings boost of approximately $2,031 above the typical income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies majors.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Indiana University - Bloomington

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
145 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$35,812 Median Starting Salary

Ball State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #181 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ball State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 145 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients generally make around $35,812 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Ball State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
174 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,561 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies has to look into Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. IUPUI is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Indianapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #253 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IUPUI is a great university overall.

There were roughly 174 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at IUPUI in the most recent data year. After graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn around $34,561 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

4
UIndy crest
University of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
0.7% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Indianapolis if you want to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the large city of Indianapolis, UIndy is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #796 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIndy is a great university overall.

There were approximately 138 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UIndy in the most recent year we have data available. Those parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who get their degree from University of Indianapolis receive $3,870 more than the average parks & rec graduate.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Indianapolis

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
17.3% Growth in Graduates

USI is a moderately-sized public university located in the midsize suburb of Evansville. A Best Colleges rank of #653 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USI is a great university overall.

There were roughly 98 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at USI in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make about $35,587 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Southern Indiana

6
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, IN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
15th Most Popular In IN

Located in the distant town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #418 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePauw is a great university overall.

There were roughly 20 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at DePauw in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from DePauw University

7
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, IN

Located in the distant town of Hanover, Hanover is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 24th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 30 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Hanover in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn around $35,085 for their early career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Hanover College

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
29.8% Growth in Graduates

UE is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evansville. This university ranks 31st out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 47 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UE in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career wages of $34,809.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Evansville

9
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, IN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
12.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Angola, Trine is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 30th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 88 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Trine in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients usually earn about $25,812 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Trine University

10
Manchester University crest
Manchester University
North Manchester, IN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$29,936 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of North Manchester, Manchester University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 33rd out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 28 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Manchester University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career wages of $29,936.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Manchester University

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

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 38 2,277
Ohio 38 2,635
Illinois 38 2,391
Wisconsin 37 996

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 1,564
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 150
Recreation Administration 51
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 5

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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