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Recreation aide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a recreation aide. Recreation aides usually study business, psychology, or criminal justice. 43% of recreation aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 7,496 real recreation aide resumes to see exactly what recreation aide education sections show.
The most common colleges for recreation aides are the Old Dominion University and the Old Dominion University.
There are also many online recreation aide courses to help get the education required to be a recreation aide.
There are certain recreation aide certifications that you should consider. These recreation aide certifications include Advanced First Aid & CPR and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a recreation aide?
What degree do you need to be a recreation aide?
- Bachelor's, 43%
- High School Diploma, 25%
- Associate, 21%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a recreation aide?
- Business, 14%
- Psychology, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- General Studies, 8%
- Other Majors, 59%
Most common colleges for recreation aides
| Recreation aide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Old Dominion University | 12.78% |
| Norfolk State University | 7.99% |
| California State University - Sacramento | 6.39% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.39% |
| Virginia State University | 6.39% |
Best majors for recreation aides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 14.0% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.4% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 8.7% |
| 4 | General Studies | 8.5% |
| 5 | Kinesiology | 7.3% |
Best colleges for recreation aides
The best colleges for recreation aides are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A recreation aide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for recreation aides. 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 recreation aides.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for recreation aides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreation aides
The most affordable schools for recreation aides are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for recreation aides 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 recreation aides.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recreation aides
The hardest universities for recreation aides to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for recreation aides 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 recreation aides 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for recreation aides
The easiest schools for recreation aides to get into are D'Youville College, bluefield college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a recreation aide 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 recreation aides.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
Average recreation aide salary by education level
| Recreation aide education level | Recreation aide salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $32,223 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $27,939 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,235 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,996 |
Recreation aide education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025