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

13 Colleges in Virginia
1,741 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$31,990 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #15 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 13 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,741 degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

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

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia The parks & rec program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies rankings. For our Best Overall Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings by Degree Level

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Virginia list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

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

The schools below may not offer all types of parks & rec degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Parks & Rec

1
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
326 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
8.0% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies has to check out James Madison University. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 326 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from James Madison University earn a boost of around $5,601 above the typical earnings of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies majors.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from James Madison University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
18.8% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to take a look at University of Virginia - Main Campus. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 117 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of approximately $17,963 over the average income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Virginia - Main Campus

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
16.8% Growth in Graduates

George Mason University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a 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. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 113 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies degree program at George Mason University earn $2,219 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from George Mason University

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$27,366 Median Starting Salary

William & Mary is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 125 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn around $27,366 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from William & Mary

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
2.8% Growth in Graduates

Old Dominion is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk. This university ranks 14th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 142 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients generally make about $31,326 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Old Dominion University

6
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
403 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg. A Best Colleges rank of #352 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 403 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn an average of $32,791 at the beginning of their careers.

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

7
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$26,496 Median Starting Salary

Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Salem. This college ranks 24th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 41 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Roanoke in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career wages of $26,496.

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

8
AU crest
Averett University
Danville, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
3.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Danville, AU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 42nd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 32 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at AU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $23,288 for their early career.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$38,805 Median Starting Salary

VCU is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 47 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University receive an earnings boost of about $6,815 above the average income of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies majors.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Virginia Commonwealth University

10
Bridgewater crest
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$30,003 Median Starting Salary

Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small suburb of Bridgewater. This college ranks 29th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 46 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Bridgewater in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically make about $30,003 at the beginning of their careers.

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

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

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 3,418
West Virginia 38 1,226
Mississippi 38 1,121
South Carolina 38 1,336
Florida 38 2,335
Arkansas 38 1,012
Alabama 37 959
Kentucky 37 1,091
Georgia 37 1,977
Tennessee 37 2,459
Louisiana 37 703

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 1,593
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 74
Recreation Administration 63
Outdoor Education 11

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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