Parks, Recreation, & Leisure
Parks, Recreation, & Leisure is a versatile degree that prepares students for a wide range of professional opportunities. With 102,450 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$9,728 Median In-State Public
$51,404 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure majors are, on average, $9,728 for in-state public colleges, and $51,404 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
12,633 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,095 |
| 4 | University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | 48,238 |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Parks, Recreation, & Leisure programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laney College | CA | $1,148 |
| 2 | Berkeley City College | CA | $1,148 |
| 3 | Chabot College | CA | $1,150 |
| 4 | Fullerton College | CA | $1,150 |
| 5 | Irvine Valley College | CA | $1,156 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $10 |
| 2 | West Valley College | CA | $1,842 |
| 3 | Irvine Valley College | CA | $1,886 |
| 4 | Moreno Valley College | CA | $1,996 |
| 5 | College of the Canyons | CA | $2,114 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure programs.
Graduation Rates
53.47% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
53.15% Average Graduation Rate
1,134 Institutions Reporting
41.64% - 64.91% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Parks, Recreation, & Leisure graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$42,551 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure majors is $42,551.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure majors.
Occupations by Share
102,450 2023 Workforce
The number of Parks, Recreation, & Leisure graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Parks, Recreation, & Leisure degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.
Age distribution for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
12,633 Total Degrees Awarded
6,174 Male (48.87%)
6,459 Female (51.13%)
Gender distribution of Parks, Recreation, & Leisure degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
5,016 White (39.71%)
3,820 Hispanic or Latino (30.24%)
1,235 Asian (9.78%)
1,236 Black or African American (9.78%)
603 Two or More Races (4.77%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Parks, Recreation, & Leisure degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Parks, Recreation, & Leisure field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Parks, Recreation, & Leisure majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Parks, Recreation, & Leisure majors.
About
Parks, Recreation, & Leisure
In 2023, 12,633 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.
CIP Code
31.0501 - Parks, Recreation, & Leisure
Insights and Analysis
Parks, Recreation, & Leisure offers students a pathway to career success with diverse opportunities across multiple industries. Prospective students should carefully evaluate factors including costs, outcomes, program quality, and personal interests when making their educational decisions.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.