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Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota

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2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota

4 Colleges
$32,046 Avg Salary
$25,408 Avg Student Debt

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

Out of the majors we analyze each year, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies was ranked 9th in South Dakota. In fact, 61 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota ranking. This report analyzed 4 schools in South Dakota to see which ones were the most popular programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies program at each school on the list.

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in South Dakota.

#1

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD

Our analysis found University of South Dakota to be the most popular school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in South Dakota. Located in the distant town of Vermillion, USD is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of South Dakota Report

Out of the 4 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the remote town of Aberdeen, NSU is a public school with a small student population.

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

#3

Augustana University

Sioux Falls, SD

Out of the 4 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Augustana University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Sioux Falls, Augustana Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Augustana University Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Dakota list. South Dakota State is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Brookings.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at South Dakota State University Report

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

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

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 50
Missouri 247
Minnesota 151
Iowa 136
North Dakota 36
Nebraska 36

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 4 schools only.

  • 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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