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2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia

11 Colleges in Virginia
1,296 Bachelor's Degrees
$29,019 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #13 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 11 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,296 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia The parks & rec bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

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

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 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Virginia

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top Virginia Schools for a Bachelor's in Parks & Rec

1
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
292 Annual Graduates

James Madison University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from James Madison University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Annual Graduates

University of Virginia - Main Campus is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Virginia - Main Campus

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat George Mason University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from George Mason University

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
125 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat William & Mary if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from William & Mary

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Annual Graduates

Old Dominion is a fairly large public university located in the city of Norfolk.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Old Dominion University

6
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
186 Annual Graduates

Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Liberty University

7
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
41 Annual Graduates

Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized suburb of Salem.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Roanoke College

8
AU crest
Averett University
Danville, VA
32 Annual Graduates

Located in the distant town of Danville, AU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Averett University

9
Bridgewater crest
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, VA
46 Annual Graduates

Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small suburb of Bridgewater.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Bridgewater College

10
Hampton crest
Hampton University
Hampton, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Hampton, Hampton is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Hampton University

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 34 3,089
Mississippi 34 890
Florida 34 1,760
Alabama 33 743
Georgia 33 1,646
West Virginia 32 1,002
Tennessee 32 2,175
South Carolina 32 1,116
Kentucky 31 861
Louisiana 31 551
Arkansas 30 720

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Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 1,162
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 74
Recreation Administration 49
Outdoor Education 11

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 977

Notes and References

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