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Best Schools for Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies in 2026

59 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies graduate earns $33,732/yr across 59 schools.

Programs Ranked

Avg Earnings

$33,732/yr

Avg DW Score

43/100

AI Risk

Very High

59% task exposure

All Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Programs Ranked

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

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Brigham Young University · Provo, UT	61 55–65	$47,596/yr	Very High	24.3x
2	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA	55 48–59	$40,338/yr	Very High	18.8x
3	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA	57 51–59	$43,700/yr	Very High	14.5x
4	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Ohio University-Eastern Campus · Saint Clairsville, OH	54 47–58	$36,850/yr	Very High	23.2x
5	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus · Chillicothe, OH	54 47–58	$36,850/yr	Very High	23.2x
6	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Ohio University-Southern Campus · Ironton, OH	54 47–58	$36,850/yr	Very High	23.2x
7	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Ohio University-Lancaster Campus · Lancaster, OH	54 47–58	$36,850/yr	Very High	23.2x
8	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Ohio University-Zanesville Campus · Zanesville, OH	54 47–58	$36,850/yr	Very High	23.2x
9	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies CUNY Lehman College · Bronx, NY	54 49–56	$41,484/yr	Very High	13.0x
10	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ	50 44–53	$43,149/yr	Very High	10.8x
11	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies California State University-Chico · Chico, CA	48 40–53	$33,920/yr	Very High	16.6x
12	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA	50 44–53	$35,532/yr	Very High	15.9x
13	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies San Diego State University · San Diego, CA	48 39–54	$33,692/yr	Very High	17.9x
14	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO	50 45–53	$42,886/yr	Very High	11.1x
15	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Georgia Southern University · Statesboro, GA	48 41–52	$31,086/yr	Very High	19.0x
16	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies East Carolina University · Greenville, NC	48 42–52	$34,751/yr	Very High	14.7x
17	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA	47 40–51	$32,697/yr	Very High	15.5x
18	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Northwest Missouri State University · Maryville, MO	50 46–52	$42,389/yr	Very High	9.4x
19	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT	47 41–51	$37,009/yr	Very High	12.5x
20	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, AR	44 34–52	$31,567/yr	Very High	15.9x
21	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Northern Iowa · Cedar Falls, IA	47 41–50	$37,233/yr	Very High	11.6x
22	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Shepherd University · Shepherdstown, WV	46 39–51	$34,287/yr	Very High	13.7x
23	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA	45 39–49	$37,103/yr	Very High	10.8x
24	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Kutztown University of Pennsylvania · Kutztown, PA	44 38–49	$36,363/yr	Very High	10.9x
25	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA	43 34–49	$28,427/yr	Very High	15.8x
26	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE	42 32–50	$28,241/yr	Very High	16.5x
27	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH	43 36–48	$36,850/yr	Very High	9.9x
28	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA	46 41–47	$39,157/yr	Very High	7.8x
29	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Pittsburg State University · Pittsburg, KS	47 42–48	$35,587/yr	Very High	10.1x
30	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO	44 37–48	$38,725/yr	Very High	8.8x
31	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN	42 36–46	$35,429/yr	Very High	9.7x
32	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Oklahoma State University-Main Campus · Stillwater, OK	45 40–47	$37,393/yr	Very High	8.1x
33	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Arizona State University Digital Immersion · Scottsdale, AZ	43 37–47	$43,149/yr	Very High	—
34	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of South Alabama · Mobile, AL	42 36–44	$33,557/yr	Very High	9.9x
35	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL	40 32–46	$34,742/yr	Very High	9.0x
36	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Winona State University · Winona, MN	42 37–45	$35,062/yr	Very High	9.3x
37	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO	39 31–45	$28,345/yr	Very High	11.8x
38	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR	40 33–44	$34,451/yr	Very High	8.4x
39	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Utah State University · Logan, UT	44 39–45	$35,079/yr	Very High	8.5x
40	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Oregon State University-Cascades Campus · Bend, OR	40 34–45	$34,451/yr	Very High	9.1x
41	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ	38 31–43	$31,672/yr	Very High	9.3x
42	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of North Carolina at Greensboro · Greensboro, NC	42 38–44	$31,561/yr	Very High	9.4x
43	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN	39 33–42	$35,999/yr	Very High	5.8x
44	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL	37 31–41	$32,357/yr	Very High	7.7x
45	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH	37 31–41	$32,709/yr	Very High	7.3x
46	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Radford University · Radford, VA	36 30–41	$30,145/yr	Very High	8.8x
47	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA	37 30–42	$27,558/yr	Very High	10.4x
48	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Grambling State University · Grambling, LA	34 26–41	$19,830/yr	Very High	10.9x
49	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Jacksonville State University · Jacksonville, AL	36 31–39	$31,303/yr	Very High	5.3x
50	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA	36 31–38	$26,224/yr	Very High	7.3x
51	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI	33 26–37	$27,511/yr	Very High	6.7x
52	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Shaw University · Raleigh, NC	35 29–38	$32,241/yr	Very High	3.6x
53	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI	33 28–36	$28,890/yr	Very High	4.4x
54	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Western Colorado University · Gunnison, CO	32 27–36	$25,903/yr	Very High	6.0x
55	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS	33 28–36	$25,354/yr	Very High	5.6x
56	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Southern Oregon University · Ashland, OR	28 22–30	$19,139/yr	Very High	3.0x
57	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science · Paul Smiths, NY	26 21–29	$27,543/yr	Very High	1.1x
58	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Mount Olive · Mount Olive, NC	27 22–30	$27,219/yr	Very High	1.6x
59	Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies Benedict College · Columbia, SC	24 19–27	$17,324/yr	Very High	1.4x

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 Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies?

Based on our DegreeWorth Score, Brigham Young University ranks #1 for Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies with a score of 61/100 and graduate earnings of $47,596/yr.

How much do Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies graduates earn?

Across 59 schools, Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies graduates earn an average of $33,732/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $47,596/yr.

Is Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies a good major for AI resistance?

Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies has an average AI task exposure of 59%, rated "Very High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.

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.