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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Missouri

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Missouri

8 Colleges
$29,909 Avg Salary
$24,765 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You

In 2020-2021, 247 degrees and certificates were awarded to parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who went to a Missouri college or university. This makes it the #17 most popular major in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Missouri ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 8 schools in Missouri to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Missouri

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top Missouri Schools in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

Our analysis found Missouri State University - Springfield to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Missouri. Missouri State is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Missouri list. Mizzou is a fairly large public school located in the city of Columbia.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Missouri Western State University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Missouri Western is a small public school located in the small city of Saint Joseph.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Missouri Western State University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Missouri. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Missouri list. Located in the distant town of Warrensburg, UCM is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Central Missouri

#5

Missouri Baptist University

Saint Louis, MO

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Missouri Baptist University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Missouri list. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, MBU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Missouri Baptist University Report

With a ranking of #6, Northwest Missouri State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Northwest is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Maryville.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwest Missouri State University Report

#7

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, MO

Lindenwood University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Lindenwood University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Charles.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lindenwood University

#8

Avila University

Kansas City, MO

Avila University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Avila is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kansas City.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Avila University

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 50
Minnesota 151
Iowa 136
North Dakota 36
Nebraska 36
South Dakota 61

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 9,742
Recreation Administration 441
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 206
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 35
Outdoor Education 28

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 53,252
Legal Professions 45,189
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 13,045
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 1,613

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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