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Best Schools for Recreation & Parks Management in 2026

45 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Recreation & Parks Management, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Recreation & Parks Management graduate earns $33,643/yr across 45 schools.

Programs Ranked
45
Avg Earnings
$33,643/yr
Avg DW Score
67/100
AI Risk
Moderate
33% task exposure

All Recreation & Parks Management Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# Program DW Score Earnings AI Risk ROI
1 Recreation & Parks Management
University of Florida · Gainesville, FL 		82
78–82 		$41,046/yr Moderate 19.7x
2 Recreation & Parks Management
University of West Georgia · Carrollton, GA 		74
69–77 		$31,492/yr Moderate 21.5x
3 Recreation & Parks Management
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC 		75
72–75 		$38,116/yr Moderate 13.3x
4 Recreation & Parks Management
Western Carolina University · Cullowhee, NC 		74
70–76 		$30,485/yr Moderate 22.0x
5 Recreation & Parks Management
Southern Connecticut State University · New Haven, CT 		76
75–74 		$46,274/yr Moderate 8.9x
6 Recreation & Parks Management
South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD 		75
72–74 		$38,076/yr Moderate 12.3x
7 Recreation & Parks Management
Brigham Young University-Idaho · Rexburg, ID 		73
68–74 		$27,961/yr Moderate 21.8x
8 Recreation & Parks Management
Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN 		73
69–74 		$36,220/yr Moderate 12.6x
9 Recreation & Parks Management
Southwestern Oklahoma State University · Weatherford, OK 		76
73–74 		$38,506/yr Moderate 10.6x
10 Recreation & Parks Management
Florida International University · Miami, FL 		71
67–72 		$29,862/yr Moderate 15.5x
11 Recreation & Parks Management
Kean University · Union, NJ 		70
66–72 		$37,884/yr Moderate 10.1x
12 Recreation & Parks Management
University of North Carolina Wilmington · Wilmington, NC 		71
67–72 		$31,873/yr Moderate 14.2x
13 Recreation & Parks Management
University of North Texas · Denton, TX 		71
67–72 		$36,857/yr Moderate 11.0x
14 Recreation & Parks Management
University of Northern Colorado · Greeley, CO 		69
64–71 		$35,308/yr Moderate 10.7x
15 Recreation & Parks Management
Indiana State University · Terre Haute, IN 		70
65–71 		$34,084/yr Moderate 11.5x
16 Recreation & Parks Management
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse · La Crosse, WI 		70
67–71 		$34,490/yr Moderate 11.9x
17 Recreation & Parks Management
SUNY Brockport · Brockport, NY 		68
63–70 		$30,388/yr Moderate 13.2x
18 Recreation & Parks Management
Northwest Missouri State University · Maryville, MO 		70
68–69 		$36,247/yr Moderate 9.4x
19 Recreation & Parks Management
Arkansas Tech University · Russellville, AR 		71
69–69 		$35,073/yr Moderate 9.3x
20 Recreation & Parks Management
Illinois State University · Normal, IL 		67
65–68 		$39,104/yr Moderate 6.3x
21 Recreation & Parks Management
Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS 		69
68–68 		$37,083/yr Moderate 7.5x
22 Recreation & Parks Management
Appalachian State University · Boone, NC 		68
64–68 		$29,646/yr Moderate 12.1x
23 Recreation & Parks Management
North Carolina Central University · Durham, NC 		68
66–67 		$28,863/yr Moderate 12.6x
24 Recreation & Parks Management
Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO 		65
61–67 		$33,161/yr Moderate 9.1x
25 Recreation & Parks Management
University of Mississippi · University, MS 		69
68–68 		$35,318/yr Moderate 8.4x
26 Recreation & Parks Management
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · Durham, NH 		66
62–68 		$38,201/yr Moderate 6.3x
27 Recreation & Parks Management
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania · East Stroudsburg, PA 		66
64–67 		$33,955/yr Moderate 8.9x
28 Recreation & Parks Management
Old Dominion University · Norfolk, VA 		66
62–67 		$34,040/yr Moderate 8.7x
29 Recreation & Parks Management
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN 		65
62–66 		$30,350/yr Moderate 10.3x
30 Recreation & Parks Management
Texas State University · San Marcos, TX 		65
62–66 		$32,620/yr Moderate 9.2x
31 Recreation & Parks Management
Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA 		64
60–66 		$28,140/yr Moderate 11.0x
32 Recreation & Parks Management
Eastern Illinois University · Charleston, IL 		65
63–65 		$35,425/yr Moderate 5.6x
33 Recreation & Parks Management
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania · Slippery Rock, PA 		65
62–65 		$32,065/yr Moderate 8.8x
34 Recreation & Parks Management
Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY 		64
61–64 		$32,267/yr Moderate 7.9x
35 Recreation & Parks Management
Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI 		64
61–64 		$35,343/yr Moderate 4.5x
36 Recreation & Parks Management
Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH 		62
59–64 		$31,422/yr Moderate 7.9x
37 Recreation & Parks Management
Clemson University · Clemson, SC 		62
59–64 		$32,992/yr Moderate 6.6x
38 Recreation & Parks Management
Johnson & Wales University-Online · Providence, RI 		62
58–65 		$30,963/yr Moderate 8.4x
39 Recreation & Parks Management
Henderson State University · Arkadelphia, AR 		65
63–64 		$29,307/yr Moderate 8.3x
40 Recreation & Parks Management
Eastern Kentucky University · Richmond, KY 		63
61–63 		$30,330/yr Moderate 8.0x
41 Recreation & Parks Management
St. Joseph's University-New York · Brooklyn, NY 		61
57–63 		$36,847/yr Moderate 3.1x
42 Recreation & Parks Management
Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL 		59
55–60 		$28,978/yr Moderate 5.9x
43 Recreation & Parks Management
Frostburg State University · Frostburg, MD 		58
56–58 		$25,345/yr Moderate 5.3x
44 Recreation & Parks Management
Johnson & Wales University-Providence · Providence, RI 		54
50–56 		$30,963/yr Moderate 2.1x
45 Recreation & Parks Management
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte · Charlotte, NC 		54
50–56 		$30,963/yr Moderate 2.1x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Recreation & Parks Management?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, University of Florida ranks #1 for Recreation & Parks Management with a score of 82/100 and graduate earnings of $41,046/yr.
How much do Recreation & Parks Management graduates earn?
Across 45 schools, Recreation & Parks Management graduates earn an average of $33,643/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $46,274/yr.
Is Recreation & Parks Management a good major for AI resistance?
Recreation & Parks Management has an average AI task exposure of 33%, rated "Moderate". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.