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2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in West Virginia

6 Colleges in West Virginia
1,238 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$31,545 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 looked at 6 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in West Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,238 degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

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

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in West Virginia Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Degree Level

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 West Virginia. 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 West Virginia

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 West Virginia Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
683 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
14.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into American Public University System. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #144 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means American Military University is a great university overall.

There were about 683 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at American Military University in the most recent year we have data available. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from American Public University System receive an earnings boost of approximately $19,323 above the average income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies majors.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from American Public University System

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
261 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
28.0% Growth in Graduates

West Virginia University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Morgantown, WVU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #513 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WVU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 261 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at WVU 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 wages of $23,751.

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

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$22,047 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

West Virginia Wesleyan College 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 Buckhannon, West Virginia Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population. This college ranks 6th out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were about 21 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at West Virginia Wesleyan in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn around $22,047 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from West Virginia Wesleyan College

4
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, WV
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$26,069 Median Starting Salary

Marshall University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the small city of Huntington, Marshall University is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #883 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Marshall University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 65 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Marshall University in the most recent data year. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually earn about $26,069 at the beginning of their careers.

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

5
Shepherd University crest
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$34,185 Median Starting Salary
$23,184 Median Student Debt

Shepherd University is a small public university located in the town of Shepherdstown. This university ranks 11th out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were roughly 27 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Shepherd University in the most recent year we have data available. Those parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who get their degree from Shepherd University receive $2,640 more than the standard parks & rec grad.

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

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,324 Median Starting Salary
$26,157 Median Student Debt

Alderson Broaddus University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Philippi. This university ranks 10th out of 28 schools for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were about 28 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Alderson Broaddus University in the most recent data year. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn around $27,324 in the first five years of their career.

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

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$25,042 Median Starting Salary
$25,316 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Fairmont, Fairmont State is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 14th out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were approximately 24 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Fairmont State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually earn an average of $25,042 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Fairmont State 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
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
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 1,170
Recreation Administration 41
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 27

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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