Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 53 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies pays
Career outlook for Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies graduates
The job market for the occupations Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary | 15,400 | +2.4% | $75,890 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies vs similar majors
How Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies stacks up against the closest fields in Parks, Recreation & Fitness on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies Parks, Recreation & Fitness · this major | Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | Outdoor Education | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 28 F | 30 F | 24 F | 25 F |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Break-even | Poor return | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $51,181 | $53,887 | $47,776 | $47,445 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $34,916 | $33,980 | $35,033 | — |
| ROI vs cost | -22% | +10% | -65% | -66% |
| Typical debt | $20,903 | $24,294 | $22,785 | — |
| Colleges offering it | 53 | 699 | 63 | 1 |
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH | Associate's | $59,913 | — | +1,800% | Strong return |
| 2 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH | Associate's | $59,913 | — | +1,220% | Strong return |
| 3 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH | Associate's | $59,913 | — | +1,198% | Strong return |
| 4 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH | Associate's | $59,913 | — | +1,196% | Strong return |
| 5 | Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH | Associate's | $59,913 | — | +1,144% | Strong return |
| 6 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA | Associate's | $73,198 | — | +925% | Strong return |
| 7 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | Associate's | $60,227 | $19,181 | +493% | Strong return |
| 8 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | Associate's | $65,672 | $12,250 | +481% | Strong return |
| 9 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Associate's | $63,748 | $22,564 | +408% | Strong return |
| 10 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA | Associate's | $62,734 | $14,999 | +390% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR | Associate's | $65,926 | $21,500 | +373% | Strong return |
| 12 | Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH | Associate's | $59,913 | — | +245% | Strong return |
| 13 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA | Associate's | $56,924 | $17,886 | +236% | Strong return |
| 14 | University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE | Associate's | $58,149 | $21,000 | +228% | Strong return |
| 15 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ | Associate's | $56,982 | $20,745 | +220% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Certificate | $61,865 | $30,099 | +147% | Strong return |
| 17 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO | Associate's | $52,362 | — | +140% | Strong return |
| 18 | University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO | Associate's | $55,583 | $20,500 | +120% | Strong return |
| 19 | Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX | Associate's | $53,595 | — | +102% | Strong return |
| 20 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | Associate's | $51,918 | $20,250 | +94% | Strong return |
| 21 | Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV | Associate's | $50,742 | $22,625 | +85% | Strong return |
| 22 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA | Associate's | $53,562 | $26,875 | +63% | Break-even |
| 23 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA | Associate's | $49,799 | $16,500 | +57% | Break-even |
| 24 | Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN | Associate's | $50,444 | $19,261 | +38% | Break-even |
| 25 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Associate's | $50,353 | $19,125 | +36% | Break-even |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.