2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
66
Ranked Colleges
326
Degrees Awarded
$69,500
Avg Salary
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 for a Doctorate” 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.
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.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate” ranking, we looked at 66 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Doctorate”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Doctorate
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree parks & rec students.
Top 29 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Concordia University, Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Chicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. UNC Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Western States. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. University of Western States is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Western States
Out of the 66 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, United States Sports Academy landed the #4 spot on the list. United States Sports Academy is a small school located in Daphne, Alabama that handed out 15 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full The Academy Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 66 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #5 spot on the 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Houston
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #6. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 12 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees 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%. 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 Michigan State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. 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 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 at Austin
With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 10 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full IU Bloomington Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Troy University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. This fairly large school is located in Troy, Alabama, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Troy University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #11. UA is a public institution located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UA
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees 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%. 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 UT Knoxville
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 7 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students 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 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%.
Full Texas A&M University - College Station Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 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 86%. 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%.
Full ASU - Tempe Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, University of Northern Colorado did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. Greeley, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Northern Colorado
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Georgia Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. UAB 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.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, 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 86%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UAB
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 5 doctorate’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 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UIUC
With a ranking of #19, Georgia State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Georgia State University
Iowa State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Iowa State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #19, Clemson University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. Clemson is a large school located in Clemson, South Carolina that handed out 5 doctorate’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 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Clemson
East Tennessee State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. This fairly large school is located in Johnson City, Tennessee, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at East Tennessee State University
Texas Woman’s University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. TWU is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at TWU
The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #24. UT Arlington is located in Arlington, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Arlington
Florida State University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida State
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #24. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Utah landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate ranking. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full University of Utah Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
West Virginia University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major for a Doctorate list. WVU is a large public school situated in Morgantown, West Virginia. It awarded 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full West Virginia University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southeast Region
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Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Rocky Mountains Region
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Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southwest Region
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Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the New England Region
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Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Plains States Region
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Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region
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Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Great Lakes Region
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Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k)
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income less than $30k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k)
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income $48-$75k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k)
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income exceeding $110k
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (With Aid)
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students getting aid
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k)
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income $30-$48k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k)
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students with family income $75-$110k
Highest Paid Doctor's Degree Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Graduates
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies students
Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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