by our College Data Analytics Team
[Recreation Administration](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/recreation-administration/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their recreation administration graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send recreation administration graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in recreation administration, no school beat University Of Arkansas this year. University Of Arkansas is a public school located in the city of Fayetteville. Recreation Administration graduates of University Of Arkansas earn a median of about $56,024 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in recreation administration will find them at Western Kentucky University, which ranked #2. Western Kentucky University is a public school located in the city of Bowling Green. Recreation Administration graduates of Western Kentucky University earn a median of about $57,770 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in recreation administration will find them at Florida International University, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Miami, Florida International University is a public institution. Students who complete the recreation administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,226.
Strong graduate earnings at North Carolina State University At Raleigh earned it the #4 place for recreation administration. Set in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public institution. Recreation Administration graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of about $45,117 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Clemson University earned it the #5 place for recreation administration. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a public institution. Early-career recreation administration graduates from Clemson University make a median of around $43,992 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries recreation administration graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.