Parks recreation director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a parks recreation director. Parks recreation directors usually study recreation management, business, or kinesiology. 71% of parks recreation directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 876 real parks recreation director resumes to see exactly what parks recreation director education sections show.

The most common colleges for parks recreation directors are the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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

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

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

The most common degree for parks recreation directors is bachelor's degree, with 71% of parks recreation directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 71%

Associate, 12%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in recreation management to become a parks recreation director. 21% of parks recreation directors major in recreation management. Other common majors for a parks recreation director include business and kinesiology.

Recreation Management, 21%

Business, 14%

Kinesiology, 9%

Health Education, 7%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for parks recreation directors

Parks recreation directors often get their degrees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Kansas State University, and Appalachian State University. Here are the most common colleges for parks recreation directors in the US based on their resumes.

Parks recreation director common college	Percentages
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	7.29%
Kansas State University	7.29%
Appalachian State University	6.25%
Purdue University	6.25%
Michigan State University	6.25%

Show more common parks recreation director colleges

Best majors for parks recreation directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Recreation Management	20.7%
2	Business	13.6%
3	Kinesiology	8.8%
4	Health Education	7.1%
5	Education	5.6%

Show more common parks recreation director majors

Best colleges for parks recreation directors

The best colleges for parks recreation directors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A parks 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 parks 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 parks recreation directors.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

3. SUNY College at Cortland

Cortland, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,536

Enrollment

6,325

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$28,810

Enrollment

1,671

7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. Winona State University

Winona, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,425

Enrollment

7,052

20 best online courses for parks recreation directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for parks recreation directors

The most affordable schools for parks recreation directors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for parks 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 parks recreation directors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Cost of attendance

19,807

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for parks recreation directors

The hardest universities for parks recreation directors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for parks 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 parks 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

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

The easiest schools for parks recreation directors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and bluefield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a parks 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 parks recreation directors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average parks recreation director salary by education level

Parks recreation directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $64,010 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, parks recreation directors earn a median annual income of $59,477 compared to $54,064 for parks recreation directors with an Associate degree.

Parks recreation director education level	Parks recreation director salary
Master's Degree	$64,010
High School Diploma or Less	$45,725
Bachelor's Degree	$59,477
Some College/ Associate Degree	$54,064

Parks recreation director education FAQs

What is the best college for Parks 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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