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

14 Colleges in Georgia
2,128 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,494 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #15 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 14 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Georgia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,128 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 Georgia 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. For our Best Overall Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

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 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 Schools in Georgia list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

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

The schools below may not offer all types of parks & rec degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Georgia Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
358 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
15.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Georgia is a great option for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. UGA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 358 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually make an average of $36,019 in their early careers.

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

2
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$37,974 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Emory University if you want to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta. A Best Colleges rank of #31 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were about 90 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies major at Emory University earn $3,480 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
388 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$33,290 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Georgia Southern University if you want to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. GaSou is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Statesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #451 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GaSou is a great university overall.

There were about 388 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at GaSou in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make around $33,290 in their early career salary.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
249 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Kennesaw State University if you want to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. KSU Georgia is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Kennesaw. A Best Colleges rank of #720 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means KSU Georgia is a great university overall.

There were about 249 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at KSU Georgia in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $31,045 in their early career salary.

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

5
Berry crest
Berry College
Mount Berry, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$25,091 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Mount Berry, Berry is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 32nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 35 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Berry in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $25,091 in their early career salary.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$31,492 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Carrollton, University of West Georgia is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #975 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of West Georgia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 77 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at University of West Georgia in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually earn an average of $31,492 in their early careers.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$29,203 Median Starting Salary

Georgia College is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Milledgeville. A Best Colleges rank of #812 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Georgia College is a great university overall.

There were roughly 81 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Georgia College in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn about $29,203 for their early career.

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

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
220 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
7.7% Growth in Graduates

UNG is a large public university located in the town of Dahlonega. This university ranks 33rd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 220 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UNG in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from University of North Georgia receive an earnings boost of around $6,727 above the typical income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates.

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

9
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, GA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
12.4% Growth in Graduates

Augusta University is a medium-sized public university located in the midsize city of Augusta. A Best Colleges rank of #986 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Augusta University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 97 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Augusta University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients generally make around $27,490 at the beginning of their careers.

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

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
6.3% Growth in Graduates

Reinhardt University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Waleska. This university ranks 51st out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 63 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Reinhardt University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients generally earn an average of $31,900 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Reinhardt 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 38 3,418
West Virginia 38 1,226
Mississippi 38 1,121
South Carolina 38 1,336
Florida 38 2,335
Virginia 38 1,717
Arkansas 38 1,012
Alabama 37 959
Kentucky 37 1,091
Tennessee 37 2,459
Louisiana 37 703

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 1,957
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 79
Recreation Administration 74
Outdoor Education 18

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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