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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major

66 Ranked Colleges
326 Degrees Awarded
$69,500 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 326 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major” ranking looked at 66 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree parks & rec students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend United States Sports Academy. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. United States Sports Academy is located in Daphne, Alabama and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The Academy

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Western States. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. University of Western States is a private not-for-profit institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Western States Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

3
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Out of the 66 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 32 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions is a small private for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 3 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

5

Out of the 66 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #5 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

6
Springfield College crest
Springfield College
Springfield, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #6, Springfield College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Springfield College is located in Springfield, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Springfield College

7
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama

With a ranking of #7, Troy University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. TROY is a fairly large school located in Troy, Alabama that handed out 8 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at TROY

8

University of Northern Colorado came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. University of Northern Colorado is a public institution located in Greeley, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Northern Colorado Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

9

With a ranking of #9, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. OSU is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 11 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

10
ETSU crest
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. Located in Johnson City, Tennessee, this fairly large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at ETSU

11
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Houston

12

University of Alabama at Birmingham ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. University of Alabama at Birmingham is located in Birmingham, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Alabama at Birmingham

13

With a ranking of #13, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. This fairly large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at TWU

14

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #14. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

15
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Michigan State

16
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

17
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

With a ranking of #17, The University of Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. UA is a large public school situated in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awarded 7 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UA

18
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

With a ranking of #18, Clemson University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Clemson University is located in Clemson, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Clemson University

19
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #19. Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

20
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Full Georgia State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

21
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. This large school is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Full WVU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

22

Iowa State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Iowa State

23

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Austin

24
Baylor crest
Baylor University
Waco, Texas

Baylor University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Baylor

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNOMAHA

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