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2024 Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region

12 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
292 Recreation Admin Degrees Awarded
$31,213 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, recreation administration sits in the middle of the road, ranking #163 out of 395 majors in the country. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

College Factual looked at 12 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 292 degrees in recreation administration during the 2021-2022 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Recreation Administration School

Best Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region The recreation admin program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Recreation Administration rankings. For our Best Overall Recreation Administration School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

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

Recreation Administration Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Recreation Admin
Master's Degrees in Recreation Admin

The recreation admin 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 Recreation Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region. 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 Recreation Administration in the Great Lakes Region

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 recreation admin degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Recreation Admin

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$29,307 Median Starting Salary
$21,666 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat University of Wisconsin - La Crosse if you want to pursue a degree in recreation administration. Located in the city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #267 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - La Crosse is a great university overall.

There were about 29 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at UW - La Crosse in the most recent data year. After graduating, recreation admin degree recipients typically earn around $29,307 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Recreation Admin Degrees Awarded
$34,835 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in recreation administration has to check out Illinois State University. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were about 81 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Recreation Administration degree recipients from Illinois State University get an earnings boost of approximately $3,622 above the typical income of recreation administration majors.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from Illinois State University

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$26,719 Median Starting Salary
$23,250 Median Student Debt

Michigan State University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in recreation administration. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 22 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the recreation admin program state that they receive average early career income of $26,719.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from Michigan State University

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IN

Trine University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in recreation administration. Trine is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Angola. This university ranks 24th out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 8 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at Trine in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from Trine University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Recreation Admin Degrees Awarded
$33,302 Median Starting Salary

WIU is a medium-sized public university located in the remote town of Macomb. This university ranks 39th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 40 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent year we have data available. Recreation Administration degree recipients from Western Illinois University earn a boost of approximately $2,089 over the average earnings of recreation administration graduates.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from Western Illinois University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Recreation Admin Degrees Awarded
$30,324 Median Starting Salary

Indiana State is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Terre Haute. This university ranks 23rd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 40 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at Indiana State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the recreation admin program make an average of $30,324 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from Indiana State University

7
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MI

Central Michigan is a large public university located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant. This university ranks 10th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 2 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from Central Michigan University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$33,478 Median Starting Salary
$21,500 Median Student Debt

EIU is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Charleston. This university ranks 51st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 6 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at EIU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the recreation administration degree program at Eastern Illinois University get $2,265 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from Eastern Illinois University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$31,009 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Joliet, University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 19th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 10 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at University of Saint Francis in the most recent data year. After graduation, recreation admin degree recipients usually earn around $31,009 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from University of St Francis

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IN

Located in the small city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #205 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Ball State is a great university overall.

There were about 2 recreation administration students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in recreation administration from Ball State University

Best Recreation Administration Colleges by State

Explore the best recreation administration colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Michigan32246
Ohio31415
Illinois304186
Indiana29488
Wisconsin27353

View All Rankings >

Recreation Administration is one of 4 different types of Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies programs to choose from.

Recreation Admin Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management280
Golf Course Operation & Grounds Management8
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management4

View All Recreation Admin Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Health & Physical Education9,354
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies469
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies61
Outdoor Education24

View All Recreation Admin Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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