by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 64 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 7,920 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
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. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
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 include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
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.
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 the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to take a look at Rice University. Located in the city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Rice University
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Austin.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from The University of Texas at Austin
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into Texas A&M University - College Station. Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the city of College Station.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Texas A&M University - College Station
Arizona State University - Tempe is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the midsize city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Arizona State University - Tempe
SMU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Dallas.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Southern Methodist University
UH is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Houston.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Houston
Located in the city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Baylor University
Texas State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of San Marcos.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Texas State University
Located in the distant town of Stillwater, OSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
UNT is a fairly large public university located in the city of Denton.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of North Texas
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, AZ |
| 12 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX |
| 13 | Tarleton State University | Stephenville, TX |
| 14 | Southern Nazarene University | Bethany, OK |
| 15 | Texas Woman’s University | Denton, TX |
| 16 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX |
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies colleges for a specific state in the Southwest Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 35 | 6,105 |
| Arizona | 33 | 838 |
| Oklahoma | 32 | 847 |
| New Mexico | 31 | 110 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 7,544 |
| Recreation Administration | 181 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 145 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 34 |
| Outdoor Education | 16 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 5,041 |
