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2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Colorado

7 Colleges in Colorado
1,114 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$29,570 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #15 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 7 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Colorado ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,114 degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Colorado Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Parks & Rec
Master's Degrees in Parks & Rec
Doctor's Degrees in Parks & Rec

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 Schools in Colorado. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Colorado

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the parks & rec degree levels they offer.

Top Colorado Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
326 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$29,688 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into Colorado State University - Fort Collins. Colorado State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Fort Collins. A Best Colleges rank of #156 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Colorado State is a great university overall.

There were about 326 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Colorado State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career earnings of $29,688.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Colorado State University - Fort Collins

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
202 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$37,891 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Northern Colorado if you wish to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the midsize city of Greeley, University of Northern Colorado is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #701 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Northern Colorado is a great university overall.

There were about 202 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at University of Northern Colorado in the most recent year we have data available. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from University of Northern Colorado get an earnings boost of around $8,321 above the average income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies majors.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Northern Colorado

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
3.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to take a look at Metropolitan State University of Denver. MSU Denver is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Denver. This university ranks 26th out of 33 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 127 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at MSU Denver in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies degree program at Metropolitan State University of Denver earn $6,646 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Metropolitan State University of Denver

4
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, CO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$23,102 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies has to take a look at Fort Lewis College. FLC is a small public college located in the town of Durango. A Best Colleges rank of #1382 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means FLC is a great college overall.

There were about 65 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at FLC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make about $23,102 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Fort Lewis College

5
Colorado Mesa crest
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, CO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
6.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 28th out of 33 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 151 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Colorado Mesa in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn about $26,695 for their early career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Colorado Mesa University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$30,920 Median Starting Salary

Colorado State University - Pueblo is a moderately-sized public university located in the midsize city of Pueblo. This university ranks 27th out of 33 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 40 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Colorado State University - Pueblo in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients generally earn about $30,920 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Colorado State University - Pueblo

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
12.9% Growth in Graduates

Adams State is a small public university located in the remote town of Alamosa. A Best Colleges rank of #1287 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Adams State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 70 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Adams State in the most recent data year. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually earn around $28,377 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Adams State University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

Western is a small public university located in the town of Gunnison. This university ranks 29th out of 33 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were approximately 57 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Western in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career income of $26,515.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Western Colorado University

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

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Utah 37 1,178
Montana 36 94
Idaho 36 249
Wyoming 32 126

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 917
Recreation Administration 111
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 65
Outdoor Education 16
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 5

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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