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2024 Best Recreation Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

12 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
329 Bachelor's Degrees
$30,644 Avg Early-Career Salary
a bachelor's degree in recreation administration is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #128 out of 363 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 12 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Recreation Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 329 bachelor's degrees in recreation administration to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Recreation Administration School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Recreation Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region The recreation admin 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. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for recreation administration students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Recreation Administration Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Recreation Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Recreation Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Recreation Administration in the Great Lakes Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in recreation administration.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Recreation Admin

1
28 Annual Graduates
$29,307 Median Starting Salary
$22,005 Median Student Debt

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in recreation administration. Located in the small city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public university with a large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the recreation admin program earn about $29,307 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

2
87 Annual Graduates
$34,835 Median Starting Salary
$22,000 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat Illinois State University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in recreation administration. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the recreation administration program at Illinois State University get $4,191 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from Illinois State University

3
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
23 Annual Graduates
$26,719 Median Starting Salary
$24,939 Median Student Debt

Michigan State University is a great choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in recreation administration. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the recreation admin program make an average of $26,719 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from Michigan State University

4
37 Annual Graduates
$30,838 Median Starting Salary
$29,000 Median Student Debt

Western Illinois University is a great decision for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in recreation administration. WIU is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Macomb.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the recreation admin program make about $30,838 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from Western Illinois University

5
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, IN
8 Annual Graduates

Trine is a small private not-for-profit university located in the distant town of Angola.More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from Trine University

6
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN
73 Annual Graduates
$30,324 Median Starting Salary
$25,000 Median Student Debt

Indiana State is a medium-sized public university located in the city of Terre Haute.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the recreation admin program report average early career wages of $30,324.

More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from Indiana State University

7
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI

Central Michigan is a large public university located in the town of Mount Pleasant.More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from Central Michigan University

8
12 Annual Graduates
$33,478 Median Starting Salary
$22,500 Median Student Debt

EIU is a moderately-sized public university located in the distant town of Charleston.

Recreation Administration bachelor's degree recipients from Eastern Illinois University receive an earnings boost of around $2,834 above the average earnings of recreation administration majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from Eastern Illinois University

9

Located in the large suburb of Joliet, University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the recreation admin program earn around $31,009 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from University of St Francis

10
3 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in recreation administration from Ball State University

Best Recreation Administration Colleges by State

Explore the best recreation administration schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 261 33
Ohio 252 15
Illinois 241 167
Indiana 235 86
Wisconsin 213 28

View All Rankings >

Recreation Administration is one of 4 different types of Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies programs to choose from.

Recreation Admin Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management 321
Golf Course Operation & Grounds Management 4
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management 4

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 7,364
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 358
Outdoor Education 21
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 19

Notes and References

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