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2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South Dakota

5 Colleges in South Dakota
326 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,494 Avg Early-Career Salary
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #15 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 5 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South Dakota ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 326 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 South Dakota 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

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 South Dakota list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in South Dakota

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the parks & rec degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top South Dakota Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Augustana Sioux Falls crest
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In SD
36 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to take a look at Augustana University. Augustana Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Sioux Falls. A Best Colleges rank of #735 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Augustana Sioux Falls is a great university overall.

There were approximately 36 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Augustana Sioux Falls in the most recent year we have data available.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
35.9% Growth in Graduates

South Dakota State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #425 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means South Dakota State is a great university overall.

There were about 78 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at South Dakota State in the most recent year we have data available. Those parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who get their degree from South Dakota State University make $6,563 more than the standard parks & rec grad.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$40,345 Median Starting Salary

Northern State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the remote town of Aberdeen, NSU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 10th out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were about 33 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at NSU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies major at Northern State University make $5,851 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$34,839 Median Starting Salary

University of Sioux Falls is a great option for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. University of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Sioux Falls. This university ranks 12th out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were about 24 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at University of Sioux Falls in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career earnings of $34,839.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,142 Median Starting Salary

BHSU is a small public university located in the distant town of Spearfish. This university ranks 11th out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were approximately 34 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at BHSU 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 $34,142.

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

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
Kansas 38 710
Minnesota 38 1,137
Iowa 38 1,465
Missouri 38 1,326
Nebraska 36 429
North Dakota 35 266

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 281
Recreation Administration 31
Outdoor Education 14

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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