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2024 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

6 Colleges in the Southwest Region
247 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$31,896 Avg Early-Career Salary
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #166 out of the 395 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 247 degrees in parks, recreation & leisure studies to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southwest Region 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 Studies rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for parks, recreation & leisure 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.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Rankings by 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 Studies Schools in the Southwest 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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southwest 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 parks & rec degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Southwest Region Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$31,566 Median Starting Salary
$24,363 Median Student Debt

Arizona State University - Tempe is a good option for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. ASU - Tempe is a fairly large public university located in the city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #119 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were approximately 18 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually earn around $31,566 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Arizona State University - Tempe

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$30,592 Median Starting Salary

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. OSU is a very large public university located in the distant town of Stillwater. A Best Colleges rank of #227 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means OSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 35 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at OSU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically make an average of $30,592 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$32,770 Median Starting Salary

Northern Arizona University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #278 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NAU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 59 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually make around $32,770 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Northern Arizona University

4

It is difficult to beat Arizona State University - Skysong if you wish to pursue a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were roughly 25 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Skysong in the most recent data year. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients generally make an average of $31,566 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Arizona State University - Skysong

5
MSU Texas crest
MSU Texas
Wichita Falls, TX
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$29,899 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Wichita Falls, MSU Texas is a public school with a medium-sized student population. This school ranks 66th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 12 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at MSU Texas in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually make around $29,899 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from MSU Texas

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$32,718 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Durant, Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 9th out of 32 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.

There were approximately 8 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in the most recent data year. After graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically make around $32,718 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Southeastern Oklahoma State University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In OK

UCO is a large public university located in the large suburb of Edmond. This university ranks 8th out of 32 schools for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.

There were roughly 8 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UCO in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Central Oklahoma

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 12
Arizona 287 98
Oklahoma 257 53
New Mexico 219 0

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies area of study, Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Parks & Rec Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 247

View All Parks & Rec Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Parks & Rec

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 9,710
Recreation Administration 214
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 34
Outdoor Education 23

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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