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Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

Instructional programs that focus on the principles and practices of managing parks and other recreational and fitness facilities; providing recreational, leisure and fitness services; and the study of human kinesiology and fitness.

Types of Degrees Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Majors Are Earning

Those studying Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	511
Associate’s Degree	6,211
Bachelor’s Degree	52,127
Master’s Degree	10,965
Doctor’s Degree	347

What Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness graduates include:

• Athletic Instructor
• Gymnasium Teacher
• Exercise Teacher
• Fitness Instructor
• Physical Fitness Teacher
• Fitness Specialist
• Exercise Science Professor
• Education Programs Professional
• Leisure Studies Professor
• Physical Education Teacher (PE Teacher)
• Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor)
• Health and Physical Education Instructor (HPE Instructor)
• Kinesiology Professor
• Exercise Science Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	34.1%
Doctoral degree	24.4%
Master’s degree	19.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.2%
Some college courses	3.7%
Less than a high school diploma	3.1%
Postsecondary certificate	2.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47.2% women and 52.8% men among Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	33,258	47.2%
Men	37,140	52.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	37,964	53.9%
Asian	3,334	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino	13,137	18.7%
Black or African American	8,376	11.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	352	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	195	0.3%
Two or More Races	3,201	4.5%
Race Unknown	1,675	2.4%
International Students	2,164	3.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,327
4 years	$46,459
5 years	$54,662

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $54,662 — roughly 59% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	96	84
Bachelor’s	174	206
Master’s	324	180
Doctoral (Research)	8	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness graduates earn a median of $46,459 four years after completion — roughly 22% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.