2026 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 152 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation & leisure studies students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the United States
Below are the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools at the master’s degree level, ranked by the quality of the education they deliver.
Top Schools in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 school for parks, recreation & leisure studies. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 21 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn around $47,726 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $23,447 in student loans.
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A rank of #2 makes Suny College At Cortland one of the top schools for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Suny College At Cortland is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Cortland. Suny College At Cortland graduates 68% of students within six years. About 11 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees were awarded at Suny College At Cortland in the most recent year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from Suny College At Cortland earn around $38,709 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,369 to complete this degree.
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Indiana University Bloomington came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools. Located in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public university. Indiana University Bloomington graduates 80% of students within six years. Indiana University Bloomington awarded about 15 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from Indiana University Bloomington generally make around $42,647. Indiana University Bloomington graduates carry a median of $19,750 in student loans.
Read more about the parks, recreation & leisure studies program at Indiana University Bloomington
Northwest Missouri State University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies, ranking #4. Located in the town of Maryville, Northwest Missouri State University is a large public university. About 54% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 49 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Northwest Missouri State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from Northwest Missouri State University earn around $42,389 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,250.
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Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies rankings across degree levels:
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 152 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.
