2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
972
Ranked Colleges
55,115
Degrees Awarded
$28,979
Avg Salary
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 55,115 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 972 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs in the United States.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
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 “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s”.
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 for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Top 25 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
Out of the 972 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #1 spot on the list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 608 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Iowa
Out of the 972 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 576 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. Texas State University is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 571 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 544 bachelors’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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Fullerton
Out of the 972 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the #5 spot on the list. UofM is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 492 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UofM
Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 474 bachelors’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 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Texas A&M University - College Station
American Public University System came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school handed out 473 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Military University
The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 465 bachelors’s parks and rec 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%.
Full UTSA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Northridge came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 459 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Houston ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 458 bachelors’s parks and rec 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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UH Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 448 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full SDSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and it awarded 435 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Rutgers New Brunswick Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #13, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 411 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Michigan State
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 396 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Sac State
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 386 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 374 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Long Beach
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 371 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
With a ranking of #18, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 362 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Utah Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 352 students 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Knoxville
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 351 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 ASU - Tempe
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 336 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 322 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UNT Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 311 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full Chico State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it awarded 308 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Colorado State University - Fort Collins
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 304 bachelors’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 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Fresno Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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