Assistant recreation director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant recreation director. Assistant recreation directors usually study kinesiology, recreation management, or business. 70% of assistant recreation directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 708 real assistant recreation director resumes to see exactly what assistant recreation director education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant recreation directors are the Kean University and the Kean University.

There are also many online assistant recreation director courses to help get the education required to be an assistant recreation director.

There are certain assistant recreation director certifications that you should consider. These assistant recreation director certifications include Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist (CMRS).

What education do you need to become an assistant recreation director?

What degree do you need to be an assistant recreation director?

The most common degree for assistant recreation directors is bachelor's degree, with 70% of assistant recreation directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Associate, 12%

Master's, 11%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an assistant recreation director?

You should major in kinesiology to become an assistant recreation director. 17% of assistant recreation directors major in kinesiology. Other common majors for an assistant recreation director include recreation management and business.

Kinesiology, 17%

Recreation Management, 12%

Business, 10%

Health Education, 9%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for assistant recreation directors

Assistant recreation directors often get their degrees at Kean University, University of Memphis, and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Here are the most common colleges for assistant recreation directors in the US based on their resumes.

Assistant recreation director common college	Percentages
Kean University	9.76%
University of Memphis	7.32%
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	6.10%
Temple University	6.10%
University of New Hampshire	6.10%

Show more common assistant recreation director colleges

Best majors for assistant recreation directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Kinesiology	16.8%
2	Recreation Management	12.0%
3	Business	10.0%
4	Health Education	9.4%
5	Psychology	7.7%

Show more common assistant recreation director majors

Best colleges for assistant recreation directors

The best colleges for assistant recreation directors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

An assistant recreation director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant recreation directors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become assistant recreation directors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. SUNY College at Cortland

Cortland, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,536

Enrollment

6,325

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$8,580

Enrollment

10,482

10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

20 best online courses for assistant recreation directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant recreation directors

The most affordable schools for assistant recreation directors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for assistant recreation directors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for assistant recreation directors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant recreation directors

The hardest universities for assistant recreation directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for assistant recreation directors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for assistant recreation directors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant recreation directors

The easiest schools for assistant recreation directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant recreation director without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for assistant recreation directors.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average assistant recreation director salary by education level

According to our data, assistant recreation directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $60,637 annually. Assistant recreation directors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $56,862.

Assistant recreation director education level	Assistant recreation director salary
Master's Degree	$60,637
High School Diploma or Less	$45,172
Bachelor's Degree	$56,862
Some College/ Associate Degree	$52,305

Assistant recreation director education FAQs

What is the best college for Assistant Recreation Directors?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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