2026 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies Schools in Colorado
Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 22 schools to find the best for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies students.
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Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies education in Colorado.
Top Schools in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies
Our analysis ranked Colorado State University Fort Collins the best school in the country for a degree in parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies. Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public school located in the city of Fort Collins. The six-year graduation rate is 66%. About 301 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees were awarded at Colorado State University Fort Collins in the most recent year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates of Colorado State University Fort Collins earn a median of $35,171 early in their careers. Colorado State University Fort Collins graduates carry a median of $21,526 in student loans.
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A rank of #2 makes Regis University one of the top schools for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies. Located in the city of Denver, Regis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 62%. Regis University awarded about 21 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Regis University generally make around $72,028. Typical student debt for the program is $31,773.
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Metropolitan State College Of Denver came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools. Set in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 31%. About 90 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees were awarded at Metropolitan State College Of Denver in the most recent year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates of Metropolitan State College Of Denver earn a median of $41,162 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $22,292 to complete this degree.
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Students looking for a strong parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies program will find one at University Of Northern Colorado, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Greeley, University Of Northern Colorado is a large public university. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Northern Colorado awarded about 139 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies program make about $40,463 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,450.
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Students looking for a strong parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies program will find one at Adams State College, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Alamosa, Adams State College is a mid-sized public university. About 32% of students finish within six years. About 44 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees were awarded at Adams State College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree recipients from Adams State College generally make around $30,045. Students borrow a median of $21,451 to complete this degree.
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Red Rocks Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools. Red Rocks Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lakewood. About 34 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees were awarded at Red Rocks Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree from Red Rocks Community College earn around $76,340 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $14,471.
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Mesa State College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools. Set in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a large public institution. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. Mesa State College awarded about 150 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates of Mesa State College earn a median of $31,253 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,900 to complete this degree.
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Fort Lewis College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools. Fort Lewis College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Durango. Roughly 36% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 52 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Fort Lewis College in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates of Fort Lewis College earn a median of $24,431 early in their careers. Fort Lewis College graduates carry a median of $15,000 in student loans.
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Colorado Christian University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies schools. Colorado Christian University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lakewood. Colorado Christian University graduates 63% of students within six years. About 16 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees were awarded at Colorado Christian University in the most recent year. Students who receive their parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degree from Colorado Christian University earn around $47,333 in the first couple years of their career. Colorado Christian University graduates carry a median of $36,092 in student loans.
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Colorado State University Pueblo landed the #10 spot for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies this year. Located in the city of Pueblo, Colorado State University Pueblo is a large public university. Colorado State University Pueblo graduates 40% of students within six years. Colorado State University Pueblo awarded about 34 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Studies graduates of Colorado State University Pueblo earn a median of $34,865 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,117 to complete this degree.
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Western State College Of Colorado landed the #11 spot for parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies this year. Located in the town of Gunnison, Western State College Of Colorado is a moderately-sized public university. Western State College Of Colorado graduates 50% of students within six years. About 54 parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies degrees were awarded at Western State College Of Colorado in the most recent year. Graduates of the parks, recreation, leisure & fitness studies program make about $21,136 in their early career. Western State College Of Colorado graduates carry a median of $24,900 in student loans.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 22 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.