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

9 Colleges in Alabama
902 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$33,793 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.

College Factual reviewed 9 schools in Alabama to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Combined, these schools handed out 902 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 Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Alabama

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.

Top Alabama Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$52,474 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat United States Sports Academy if you wish to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Daphne, The Academy is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were approximately 43 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at The Academy in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies program at United States Sports Academy get $18,681 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from United States Sports Academy

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$31,245 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Troy University if you wish to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the remote town of Troy, TROY is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1241 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means TROY is a great university overall.

There were about 109 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at TROY in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn about $31,245 in the first couple years of working.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
2.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Montevallo is a good decision for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the large suburb of Montevallo, Montevallo is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were about 43 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Montevallo 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 $24,703.

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

4
Samford crest
Samford University
Birmingham, AL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,954 Median Starting Salary

Samford University is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Samford is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Birmingham. A Best Colleges rank of #243 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Samford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 17 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Samford in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make about $27,954 in the first couple years of their career.

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

5
Huntingdon College crest
Huntingdon College
Montgomery, AL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$25,508 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Montgomery, Huntingdon College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population. This college ranks 31st out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were approximately 38 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Huntingdon College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients typically make an average of $25,508 at the beginning of their careers.

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

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$21,788 Median Starting Salary

UAH is a moderately-sized public university located in the medium-sized city of Huntsville. A Best Colleges rank of #562 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UAH is a great university overall.

There were roughly 36 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UAH in the most recent data year. After graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn an average of $21,788 in the first five years of their career.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$35,739 Median Starting Salary

AUM is a moderately-sized public university located in the medium-sized city of Montgomery. This university ranks 36th out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were roughly 56 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at AUM in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career wages of $35,739.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Auburn University at Montgomery

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
24.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Mobile, USA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #825 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 54 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at USA 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 $26,609.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$40,138 Median Starting Salary

Jacksonville State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the suburb of Jacksonville. This university ranks 18th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were about 46 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Jacksonville State University in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from Jacksonville State University receive an earnings boost of about $6,345 over the average income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies majors.

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

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.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
North Carolina383,418
West Virginia381,226
Florida382,335
Virginia381,717
Arkansas381,012
Mississippi381,121
South Carolina381,336
Louisiana37703
Kentucky371,091
Georgia371,977
Tennessee372,459

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Health & Physical Education795
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies64
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies36
Recreation Administration7

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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