College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Pennsylvania

19 Colleges in Pennsylvania
2,752 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$31,681 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.

College Factual reviewed 19 schools in Pennsylvania to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Combined, these schools handed out 2,752 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 Pennsylvania 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

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list to help you make the college decision. 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 Pennsylvania

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.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
299 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$37,948 Median Starting Salary

Temple University is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Temple is a very large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #147 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were roughly 299 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent year we have data available. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from Temple University earn a boost of about $6,267 over the average earnings of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
214 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
13.1% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat West Chester University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the suburb of West Chester, WCUPA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #241 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WCUPA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 214 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at WCUPA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career income of $27,786.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
374 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
4.5% Growth in Graduates

California University of Pennsylvania is a great choice for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the small suburb of California, Cal U is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

There were about 374 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Cal U in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from California University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of approximately $4,807 over the typical income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates.

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

3
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$41,084 Median Starting Salary

Drexel University is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Drexel is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #125 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Drexel is a great university overall.

There were about 39 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Drexel in the most recent year we have data available. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from Drexel University receive an earnings boost of about $9,403 above the average earnings of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$36,379 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the distant town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #546 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SRU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 104 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at SRU in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania earn a boost of about $4,698 over the average income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,022 Median Starting Salary

East Stroudsburg University is a medium-sized public university located in the small city of East Stroudsburg. This university ranks 66th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 131 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at East Stroudsburg University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies major at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania earn $2,342 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$22,818 Median Starting Salary

Gannon is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Erie. A Best Colleges rank of #569 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Gannon is a great university overall.

There were approximately 57 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Gannon in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn around $22,818 in the first five years of their career.

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

7
LHU crest
Lock Haven University
Lock Haven, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,496 Median Starting Salary

LHU is a small public university located in the distant town of Lock Haven.

There were about 113 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at LHU in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from Lock Haven University earn a boost of about $2,815 over the typical earnings of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
112 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$31,702 Median Starting Salary

IUP is a medium-sized public university located in the distant town of Indiana. This university ranks 49th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 112 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at IUP in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $31,702 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$32,139 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of York, YCP is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 51st out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 35 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at YCP 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 $32,139.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from York College of Pennsylvania

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

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 38 1,047
New York 38 2,473
Maryland 37 832
Delaware 33 342
District of Columbia 33 316

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 2,453
Recreation Administration 171
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 128

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options