Most Selective Highest Earnings Best Value Free Tuition UK Universities

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies

Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies graduates earn a median of $30,212 within two years of graduation, ranking #219 out of 292 tracked majors — 15% below the median across all fields. There are 54 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 2,529 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Arizona State University Campus Immersion graduates earn $41,565 while University of South Alabama graduates earn $19,592 — a $21,973 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is modest: Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies graduates see an average -2% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

54
Schools
$30,212
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#219
of 292 Majors
2,529
Graduates

Public vs Private: Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies

Public (46 schools)
$30,474
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (8 schools)
$28,709
avg. 2yr earnings

Public schools produce comparable or higher early earnings for Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies, often at lower tuition — making them strong value options for this major.

Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies by State

California
7 schools
$33,225
Utah
4 schools
$28,783
Michigan
4 schools
$28,263
North Carolina
4 schools
$24,835
Ohio
3 schools
$26,821
Arizona
2 schools
$37,067
Illinois
2 schools
$33,989
Colorado
2 schools
$31,093

Top Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
A

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ · Public

$41,565
2yr Earnings
1yr: $31,566
Grads: 22
Acceptance: 90.2%
#2
C

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA · Public

$38,751
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,960
Grads: 120
Acceptance: 93.6%
#3
C

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA · Public

$38,072
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,427
Grads: 107
Acceptance: 93.7%
#4
U

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public

$37,568
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,770
Grads: 70
Acceptance: 43.7%
#5
M

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO · Public

$36,992
2yr Earnings
1yr: $37,024
Grads: 25
Acceptance: 99.1%
#6
U

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA · Public

$36,150
2yr Earnings
1yr: $31,686
Grads: 52
Acceptance: 84.7%
#7
T

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX · Public

$35,461
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,494
Grads: 117
Acceptance: 63.2%
#8
U

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Kearney, NE · Public

$35,416
2yr Earnings
1yr: $31,081
Grads: 50
Acceptance: 85.8%
#9
C

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA · Public

$35,240
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,067
Grads: 71
Acceptance: 96.4%
#10
I

Indiana University-Bloomington

Bloomington, IN · Public

$35,060
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,063
Grads: 188
Acceptance: 80.4%
#11
B

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT · Private

$35,060
2yr Earnings
1yr: $42,900
Grads: 61
Acceptance: 69.2%
#12
C

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · Public

$34,942
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,586
Grads: 75
Acceptance: 47.1%
#13
W

Winona State University

Winona, MN · Public

$33,993
2yr Earnings
1yr: $33,238
Grads: 46
Acceptance: 68.5%
#14
U

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA · Public

$33,138
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,498
Grads: 73
Acceptance: 94.4%
#15
U

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO · Public

$33,043
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,388
Grads: 103
Acceptance: 77.0%
#16
K

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, PA · Public

$33,022
2yr Earnings
1yr: $33,459
Grads: 119
Acceptance: 94.8%
#17
N

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ · Public

$32,569
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,770
Grads: 56
Acceptance: 91.0%
#18
W

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI · Public

$32,569
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 84.7%
#19
C

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, MI · Private

$32,029
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 71.3%
#20
V

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, VA · Private

$31,851
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 71.3%
#21
S

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA · Public

$31,314
2yr Earnings
1yr: $33,087
Grads: 73
Acceptance: 96.2%
#22
O

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR · Public

$30,771
2yr Earnings
1yr: $28,532
Grads: 18
Acceptance: 78.8%
#23
O

Oregon State University-Cascades Campus

Bend, OR · Public

$30,771
2yr Earnings
1yr: $28,532
Grads: 18
Acceptance: 68.4%
#24
U

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD · Public

$30,650
2yr Earnings
1yr: $33,236
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 99.0%
#25
R

Radford University

Radford, VA · Public

$30,650
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,562
Grads: 85
Acceptance: 90.6%
#26
S

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL · Public

$30,409
2yr Earnings
1yr: $25,457
Grads: 39
Acceptance: 90.4%
#27
G

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA · Public

$30,228
2yr Earnings
1yr: $29,808
Grads: 76
Acceptance: 89.6%
#28
M

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO · Public

$30,228
2yr Earnings
1yr: $27,761
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 91.0%
#29
S

State University of New York at Cortland

Cortland, NY · Public

$29,685
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 50.7%
#30
U

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC · Private

$29,685
2yr Earnings
1yr: $28,363
Grads: 18
Acceptance: 77.8%
#31
S

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT · Public

$29,685
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 80.5%
#32
S

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, WV · Public

$29,685
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,185
Grads: 58
Acceptance: 95.7%
#33
I

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY · Private

$29,461
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 69.9%
#34
U

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR · Public

$28,960
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,893
Grads: 49
Acceptance: 71.7%
#35
O

Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH · Public

$28,309
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 84.8%
#36
U

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN · Public

$28,055
2yr Earnings
1yr: $29,238
Grads: 29
Acceptance: 77.0%
#37
C

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

$27,669
2yr Earnings
1yr: $37,905
Grads: 33
Acceptance: 96.8%
#38
G

Grambling State University

Grambling, LA · Public

$27,048
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,969
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 23.7%
#39
S

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · Public

$26,585
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,608
Grads: 45
Acceptance: 34.4%
#40
G

Gordon College

Wenham, MA · Private

$26,353
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,399
Grads: 16
Acceptance: 58.8%
#41
U

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, MS · Public

$26,353
2yr Earnings
1yr: $28,722
Grads: 39
Acceptance: 99.4%
#42
B

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH · Public

$26,187
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,248
Grads: 105
Acceptance: 80.6%
#43
C

Central State University

Wilberforce, OH · Public

$25,967
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 46.0%
#44
U

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT · Public

$25,967
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,711
Grads: 86
Acceptance: 87.2%
#45
W

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA · Public

$25,812
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,359
Grads: 75
Acceptance: 91.3%
#46
W

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, CO · Public

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr: $22,704
Grads: 17
Acceptance: 97.5%
#47
N

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, MI · Public

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr: $24,288
Grads: 30
Acceptance: 70.0%
#48
M

Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX · Public

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr: $29,899
Grads: 17
Acceptance: 87.4%
#49
E

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC · Public

$24,421
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,887
Grads: 40
Acceptance: 90.1%
#50
U

Utah State University

Logan, UT · Public

$24,421
2yr Earnings
1yr: $25,661
Grads: 18
Acceptance: 93.6%

Showing top 50 of 54 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics $30,626 Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services, Other $30,504 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication $30,433 History $30,303 Theological and Ministerial Studies $30,246 Research and Experimental Psychology $30,148

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies?
Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks #1 for Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies with median graduate earnings of $41,565 within two years. There are 54 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies graduates earn?
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies graduates earn an average of $30,212 within two years of graduation. This is 15% below the median across all majors. Earnings range from $19,592 to $41,565 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies program?
The average acceptance rate across Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies programs is 77.7%. The most selective program is at Grambling State University with a 23.7% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies?
Private Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies programs average $28,709 in early earnings vs $30,474 at public schools. Public schools offer competitive earnings at typically lower cost, making them strong value options.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

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