Parks recreation coordinator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a parks recreation coordinator. Parks recreation coordinators usually study kinesiology, recreation management, or business. 65% of parks recreation coordinators hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 109 real parks recreation coordinator resumes to see exactly what parks recreation coordinator education sections show.

The most common colleges for parks recreation coordinators are the Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Technological University.

There are also many online parks recreation coordinator courses to help get the education required to be a parks recreation coordinator.

What education do you need to become a parks recreation coordinator?

What degree do you need to be a parks recreation coordinator?

The most common degree for parks recreation coordinators is bachelor's degree, with 65% of parks recreation coordinators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Associate, 13%

Master's, 9%

High School Diploma, 9%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a parks recreation coordinator?

You should major in kinesiology to become a parks recreation coordinator. 15% of parks recreation coordinators major in kinesiology. Other common majors for a parks recreation coordinator include recreation management and business.

Kinesiology, 15%

Recreation Management, 15%

Business, 12%

Health Education, 7%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for parks recreation coordinators

Parks recreation coordinators often get their degrees at Michigan Technological University, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for parks recreation coordinators in the US based on their resumes.

Parks recreation coordinator common college	Percentages
Michigan Technological University	7.41%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	7.41%
Florida State University	7.41%
Springfield College	7.41%
Florida International University	7.41%

Show more common parks recreation coordinator colleges

Best majors for parks recreation coordinators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Kinesiology	15.0%
2	Recreation Management	15.0%
3	Business	11.7%
4	Health Education	6.7%
5	Political Science	6.7%

Show more common parks recreation coordinator majors

Best colleges for parks recreation coordinators

The best colleges for parks recreation coordinators are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

A parks recreation coordinator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for parks recreation coordinators. 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 parks recreation coordinators.

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 parks recreation coordinators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for parks recreation coordinators

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

If the best universities for parks recreation coordinators 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 parks recreation coordinators.

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 parks recreation coordinators

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

Some great schools for parks recreation coordinators 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 parks recreation coordinators 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 parks recreation coordinators

The easiest schools for parks recreation coordinators 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 a parks recreation coordinator 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 parks recreation coordinators.

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 parks recreation coordinator salary by education level

Parks recreation coordinators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $48,171 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, parks recreation coordinators earn a median annual income of $45,531 compared to $42,316 for parks recreation coordinators with an Associate degree.

Parks recreation coordinator education level	Parks recreation coordinator salary
Master's Degree	$48,171
High School Diploma or Less	$37,211
Bachelor's Degree	$45,531
Some College/ Associate Degree	$42,316

Parks recreation coordinator education FAQs

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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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