2026 Best Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy in the Great Lakes Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy
Our analysis ranked University Of Wisconsin La Crosse the best school in the country for a degree in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy. Located in the city of La Crosse, University Of Wisconsin La Crosse is a large public university. University Of Wisconsin La Crosse graduates 71% of students within six years. About 43 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees were awarded at University Of Wisconsin La Crosse in the most recent year. Graduates of the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program make about $61,039 in their early career. University Of Wisconsin La Crosse graduates carry a median of $21,374 in student loans.
More information about a degree in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy from University Of Wisconsin La Crosse
Students looking for a strong therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program will find one at Grand Valley State University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public institution. About 67% of students finish within six years. Grand Valley State University awarded about 49 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program make about $65,197 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
See the full therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program report for Grand Valley State University
A rank of #3 makes University Of Toledo one of the top schools for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy. This large public university is located in the city of Toledo. University Of Toledo graduates 58% of students within six years. There were roughly 21 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy students who graduated with this degree at University Of Toledo in the most recent data year. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates of University Of Toledo earn a median of $55,685 early in their careers. University Of Toledo graduates carry a median of $24,875 in student loans.
Get the full therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy details for University Of Toledo
Students looking for a strong therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program will find one at Aurora University, which ranked #4. Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. Aurora University awarded about 12 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees in the most recent data year. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates of Aurora University earn a median of $41,856 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,750 to complete this degree.
Read more about the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program at Aurora University
Students looking for a strong therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program will find one at Central Michigan University, which ranked #5. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. The six-year graduation rate is 59%. About 13 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees were awarded at Central Michigan University in the most recent year. Students who receive their therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree from Central Michigan University earn around $57,073 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
More information about a degree in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy from Central Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University placed #6 among the best therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools. This large public university is located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. About 46% of students finish within six years. About 20 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees were awarded at Eastern Michigan University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree recipients from Eastern Michigan University generally make around $43,271. Students borrow a median of $27,425 to complete this degree.
Read more about the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program at Eastern Michigan University
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 15 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
