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

17 Colleges in Florida
2,670 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 17 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Florida ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,670 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 Florida 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

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

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 the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Florida. 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 Florida

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 Florida Schools in Parks & Rec

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
430 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
28.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Florida is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. UF is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville. A Best Colleges rank of #56 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were roughly 430 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available. Those parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who get their degree from University of Florida earn $8,567 more than the typical parks & rec grad.

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

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$28,660 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to check out Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale. Located in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #123 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a great university overall.

There were roughly 150 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make about $28,660 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

3
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
261 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
16.1% Growth in Graduates

Florida State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Florida State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Tallahassee. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were about 261 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically make about $33,288 at the beginning of their careers.

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

4
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
15.3% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into University of Miami. Located in the large suburb of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #175 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means U Miami is a great university overall.

There were about 118 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at U Miami in the most recent year we have data available. Those parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who get their degree from University of Miami earn $12,023 more than the typical parks & rec grad.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
190 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$29,862 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Miami, FIU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #262 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means FIU is a great university overall.

There were about 190 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at FIU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career income of $29,862.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$28,643 Median Starting Salary

UWF is a large public university located in the rural area of Pensacola. This university ranks 49th out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 147 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UWF in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career earnings of $28,643.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
28.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Tampa, UT is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 81 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UT in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make about $30,554 in their early career salary.

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

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$32,835 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Boca Raton, FAU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #472 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means FAU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 155 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at FAU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career income of $32,835.

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

9
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
15.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Fort Lauderdale, NUS Florida is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #263 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NUS Florida is a great university overall.

There were roughly 88 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at NUS Florida in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically make about $23,136 in their early careers.

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

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$33,364 Median Starting Salary

UNF is a large public university located in the large city of Jacksonville. A Best Colleges rank of #660 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNF is a great university overall.

There were approximately 73 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UNF in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career wages of $33,364.

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

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

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 3,418
West Virginia 38 1,226
Mississippi 38 1,121
South Carolina 38 1,336
Virginia 38 1,717
Arkansas 38 1,012
Alabama 37 959
Kentucky 37 1,091
Georgia 37 1,977
Tennessee 37 2,459
Louisiana 37 703

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 2,319
Recreation Administration 347
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 4

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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