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by our College Data Analytics Team
In <nil>, 53,672 people earned their bachelor's in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, making the major the #13 most popular in the United States.
This year's Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Non-Traditional Students ranking looked at 381 colleges that offer a bachelor's in parks & rec. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies programs, but they also offer a lot of support to non-traditional students.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies program at the school, affordability, and presence of non-traditional students. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
As a non-traditional student, you have a lot to consider when it comes to choosing an education. That's why we've developed rankings specifically for you. Check out more major-related rankings here..
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Check out the parks & rec programs at these schools if you want to see which ones are the best for non-traditional students.
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte comes in at #2 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of Charlotte, JWU Charlotte is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. JWU Charlotte not only placed well in our non-traditional rankings. It is also #8 on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list.
About 1.5% of JWU Charlotte students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. There are approximately 101 students at JWU Charlotte that take at least one class online. 31 students are part time.
University of Florida comes in at #3 in this year's ranking. UF is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville. In addition to being on our best for non-traditional students list, UF has also earned the #3 rank in our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies ranking.
About 0.9% of UF students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. Approximately 22,865 students take at least one class online at UF. 11,205 students are part time.
University of North Alabama landed the #4 spot in our 2021 best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools for non-traditional students. UNA is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Florence. UNA excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 4.0%. 3,305 students at UNA are exclusively online. 3,399 students are part time.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Alabama
Illinois State University comes in at #5 in this year's ranking. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public school with a fairly large student population. Illinois State also made our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list, coming in at #7.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 1.7%. There are approximately 7,464 students at Illinois State that take at least one class online. 2,500 students are part time.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign comes in at #6 in this year's ranking. UIUC is a very large public school located in the small city of Champaign. UIUC not only placed well in our non-traditional rankings. It is also #2 on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list.
The student loan default rate at UIUC is lower than is typical, just 0.6% of students default in three years. Approximately 35,475 students take at least one class online at UIUC. There are roughly 10,007 part time students in attendance at UIUC.
Chadron State College landed the #7 spot in our 2021 best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools for non-traditional students. Located in the remote town of Chadron, Chadron State College is a public school with a small student population. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, Chadron State College also did well on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list. It's in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 1.7%. 971 of Chadron State College students are exclusively distance learners. 700 students are part time.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Chadron State College Report
San Jose State University landed the #8 spot in our 2021 best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools for non-traditional students. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the large city of San Jose. San Jose State excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 0.9%. There are approximately 19,939 students at San Jose State that take at least one class online. About 9,800 of the students at San Jose State are attending part time.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University Report
Indiana University - Bloomington earned the #9 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public school with a very large student population. As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #4 rank in our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies ranking.
The student loan default rate at IU Bloomington is lower than is typical, just 1.4% of students default in three years. Approximately 18,013 students take at least one class online at IU Bloomington. 5,256 students are part time.
Our rankings recognize California University of Pennsylvania as the #10 school in this year's rankings. Cal U is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of California. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, Cal U also did well on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list. It's in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
The student loan default rate at Cal U is lower than is typical, just 2.1% of students default in three years. 2,821 students at Cal U are exclusively online. There are roughly 2,171 part time students in attendance at Cal U.
University of Utah landed the #11 spot in our 2021 best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools for non-traditional students. Located in the city of Salt Lake City, U of U is a public college with a very large student population. U of U also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list. It's in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 0.8%. There are approximately 19,378 students at U of U that take at least one class online. About 7,185 of the students at U of U are attending part time.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Utah
North Carolina State University comes in at #13 in this year's ranking. NC State is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. NC State also made our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list, coming in at #5.
The student loan default rate at NC State is lower than is typical, just 1.0% of students default in three years. Approximately 14,604 students take at least one class online at NC State. About 7,732 of the students at NC State are attending part time.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina State University Report
The #14 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Northern Colorado. University of Northern Colorado is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Greeley. University of Northern Colorado excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list.
The student loan default rate at University of Northern Colorado is lower than is typical, just 0.9% of students default in three years. There are approximately 3,583 students at University of Northern Colorado that take at least one class online. There are roughly 3,468 part time students in attendance at University of Northern Colorado.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Northern Colorado Report
Texas State University landed the #15 spot in our 2021 best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools for non-traditional students. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State is a public college with a fairly large student population. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, Texas State also did well on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
The student loan default rate at Texas State is lower than is typical, just 2.0% of students default in three years. Approximately 21,921 students take at least one class online at Texas State. About 8,642 of the students at Texas State are attending part time.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Texas State University
California State University - Sacramento earned the #16 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a very large student population. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, Sac State also did well on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list. It's in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 1.7%. There are approximately 16,876 students at Sac State that take at least one class online. 7,378 of Sac State students are attending part time.
Our rankings recognize University of New Hampshire - Main Campus as the #17 school in this year's rankings. Located in the suburb of Durham, UNH is a public college with a fairly large student population. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, UNH also did well on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list. It's in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
The student loan default rate at UNH is lower than is typical, just 1.0% of students default in three years. Approximately 3,625 students take at least one class online at UNH. There are roughly 1,355 part time students in attendance at UNH.
Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot in our 2021 best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools for non-traditional students. Located in the city of University Park, Penn State University Park is a public school with a fairly large student population. In addition to being on our best for non-traditional students list, Penn State University Park has also earned the #6 rank in our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies ranking.
The student loan default rate at Penn State University Park is lower than is typical, just 0.0% of students default in three years. All students are part time.
California State University - East Bay earned the #19 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The student loan default rate at Cal State East Bay is lower than is typical, just 1.3% of students default in three years. 7,069 of Cal State East Bay students are exclusively distance learners. 3,650 of Cal State East Bay students are attending part time.
The #20 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Northern Iowa. Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. UNI excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list.
The student loan default rate at UNI is lower than is typical, just 1.1% of students default in three years. Approximately 4,212 students take at least one class online at UNI. 1,478 of UNI students are attending part time.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Northern Iowa Report
University of Iowa comes in at #21 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public school with a very large student population. In addition to being on our bet for non-traditional students list, Iowa is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 1.2%. Approximately 12,975 students take at least one class online at Iowa. 5,055 of Iowa students are attending part time.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Iowa Report
Johnson & Wales University - Providence comes in at #22 in this year's ranking. JWU Providence is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Providence. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, JWU Providence also did well on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list. It's in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
The student loan default rate at JWU Providence is lower than is typical, just 1.5% of students default in three years. There are approximately 1,004 students at JWU Providence that take at least one class online. About 406 of the students at JWU Providence are attending part time.
Clemson University comes in at #23 in this year's ranking. Clemson is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson. Clemson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list.
About 0.6% of Clemson students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. There are approximately 11,161 students at Clemson that take at least one class online. There are roughly 3,412 part time students in attendance at Clemson.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Clemson University
The #24 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Colorado State University - Fort Collins. Colorado State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fort Collins. Colorado State also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies list. It's in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 0.8%. Approximately 12,180 students take at least one class online at Colorado State. 9,631 students are part time.
Michigan State University comes in at #25 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public college with a fairly large student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Michigan State also is in the top 5% of our Best Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies ranking.
About 0.8% of Michigan State students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. There are approximately 33,526 students at Michigan State that take at least one class online. About 6,517 of the students at Michigan State are attending part time.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Michigan State University Report
This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Non-Traditional Students badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 381 different United States parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond, KY |
| 52 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | Kearney, NE |
| 53 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 54 | Florida International University | Miami, FL |
| 55 | Indiana State University | Terre Haute, IN |
| 56 | Concordia University, Saint Paul | Saint Paul, MN |
| 57 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
Here are some additional great schools for non-traditional students studying Parks & Rec that almost earned our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Non-Traditional Students award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN |
| 59 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 60 | East Carolina University | Greenville, NC |
| 61 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 62 | Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX |
| 63 | San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
| 64 | Brigham Young University - Provo | Provo, UT |
| 65 | California State University - Fresno | Fresno, CA |
| 66 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, GA |
| 67 | Ohio University - Athens Campus | Athens, OH |
| 68 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR |
| 69 | Endicott College | Beverly, MA |
| 70 | Concordia University, Chicago | River Forest, IL |
| 71 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, NC |
| 72 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 73 | Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, KY |
| 74 | Texas Woman’s University | Denton, TX |
| 75 | American Public University System | Charles Town, WV |
| 76 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA |
View the best for non-traditional students Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies colleges in a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
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Footnotes
*Avg Cost is for the top 25 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
