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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies

1,386 Ranked Colleges
73,813 Degrees Awarded
$29,000 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major” ranking analyzed 1,386 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major”.

1
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major. American Military University is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 683 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full American Military University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

2
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 675 ’s 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

3
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 643 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

4
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 627 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 581 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

6

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 646 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

7
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #7. University of Memphis is a large school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 545 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

8

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. UTSA is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 506 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio

9
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. Mt. SAC is a large school located in Walnut, California that handed out 521 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Mt. SAC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

10

California State University - Northridge landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 495 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

11

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 491 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

11
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 490 ’s parks and rec 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

13
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. This large school is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and it awarded 456 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rutgers New Brunswick

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 454 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Diego State University

15
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 442 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

16
Concordia University, Irvine crest
Concordia University, Irvine
Irvine, California

Concordia University, Irvine came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. This small school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 438 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine

17
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 429 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Concordia University, Chicago Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

18

With a ranking of #18, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 414 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UT Knoxville

19

California State University - Sacramento came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 404 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

20

With a ranking of #20, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 401 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

21

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 394 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

22
GaSou crest
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia

Georgia Southern University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. Statesboro, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 397 students in 2020-2021.

Full Georgia Southern University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

23
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #23, Liberty University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 403 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

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

24
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 382 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

25

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major ranking, coming in at #25. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 391 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at ASU - Tempe

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
College of the Canyons crest
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California
28
Cal U crest
California University of Pennsylvania
California, Pennsylvania
29
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York
30
31
32
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
32
34
35
35
37
38
39
40
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi
41
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
42
43
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
44
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
45
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
46
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
46
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California
48
Tarleton crest
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, Texas
49
GVSU crest
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan
50
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
52 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
53 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
53 Florida International University Miami, FL
55 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
56 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
57 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
58 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
58 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
60 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
61 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
62 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
63 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
63 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
65 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
Rank College Location
66 Iowa State University Ames, IA
66 Towson University Towson, MD
68 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
68 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
70 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
70 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
72 University of Mississippi University, MS
73 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
74 Clemson University Clemson, SC
75 Illinois State University Normal, IL
76 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
77 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
78 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
78 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
80 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
80 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
82 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
83 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
84 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
85 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
86 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
86 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
86 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
89 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
89 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
Rank College Location
91 Concordia University, Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN
92 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
93 University of Delaware Newark, DE
94 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
95 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
96 Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL
96 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
98 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
99 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
99 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
101 Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN
102 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
102 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX
104 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
105 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
106 Riverside City College Riverside, CA
107 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
108 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
109 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
110 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
111 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
112 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
113 Washington State University Pullman, WA
113 Cabrillo College Aptos, CA
115 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
Rank College Location
116 California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
117 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
118 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
118 Ball State University Muncie, IN
120 Georgetown University Washington, DC
120 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
122 Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO
123 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
123 Baylor University Waco, TX
125 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
125 Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN
125 Bryan University Tempe, AZ
128 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX
128 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
130 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
131 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
131 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
133 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
134 University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
134 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
136 Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA
136 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
138 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
139 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
140 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
Rank College Location
140 Texas A&M University - Commerce Commerce, TX
142 Utah State University Logan, UT
142 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA
142 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
142 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
146 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
146 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
148 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
148 Humboldt State University Arcata, CA
148 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
148 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
148 Springfield College Springfield, MA
153 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
153 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
155 Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO
155 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
157 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
158 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
158 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
160 Angelo State University San Angelo, TX
161 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
161 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
161 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
164 Wingate University Wingate, NC
164 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
Rank College Location
166 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
166 University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC
166 Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT
169 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
169 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
169 The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX
172 Canisius College Buffalo, NY
172 University of North Alabama Florence, AL
174 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
174 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
176 Lock Haven University Lock Haven, PA
176 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
176 International Sports Sciences Association Carpinteria, CA
179 Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Indiana, PA
180 Troy University Troy, AL
180 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
180 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
183 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
183 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
183 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
186 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
186 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
186 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
186 Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, TX
190 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
Rank College Location
190 Winston - Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC
192 Rice University Houston, TX
193 Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA
194 Endicott College Beverly, MA
194 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
196 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
196 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
196 University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA
199 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
200 Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA
200 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
202 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
203 Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
204 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
204 Logan University Chesterfield, MO
204 Boise State University Boise, ID
204 University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA
204 Winona State University Winona, MN

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