2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is about average in terms of popularity for master's degrees programs. That is, it ranks #16 out of the 37 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.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in Pennsylvania to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 584 master's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for Your Master's Degree
The parks & rec master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality parks & rec program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
Overall Quality Is a Must
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Early-Career Salaries
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How much debt parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students go into to obtain their master's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their master's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Pennsylvania
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students seeking a a master's degree.
10 Top Pennsylvania Schools for a Master's in Parks & Rec
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
20
Annual Graduates
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. SRU is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Slippery Rock.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
73
Annual Graduates
Temple University is a great option for students pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Temple University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
13
Annual Graduates
Drexel University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Drexel University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
275
Annual Graduates
It's difficult to beat California University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Cal U is a moderately-sized public university located in the small suburb of California.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from California University of Pennsylvania
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11
Annual Graduates
West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a great decision for students interested in a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. WCUPA is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of West Chester.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
45
Annual Graduates
Located in the distant town of Lock Haven, LHU is a public university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Lock Haven University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
31
Annual Graduates
Located in the small city of East Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg University is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
12
Annual Graduates
Located in the city of Erie, Gannon is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Gannon University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
51
Annual Graduates
Located in the distant town of Indiana, IUP is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
10
Annual Graduates
Neumann is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Aston.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Neumann University