Recreation center director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a recreation center director. Recreation center directors usually study business, kinesiology, or recreation management. 64% of recreation center directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 264 real recreation center director resumes to see exactly what recreation center director education sections show.

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

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

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

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

The most common degree for recreation center directors is bachelor's degree, with 64% of recreation center directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 13% and high school diploma degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 64%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 12%

Associate, 8%

Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in business to become a recreation center director. 15% of recreation center directors major in business. Other common majors for a recreation center director include kinesiology and recreation management.

Business, 15%

Kinesiology, 13%

Recreation Management, 9%

Psychology, 7%

Other Majors, 56%

Most common colleges for recreation center directors

Recreation center directors often get their degrees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of Oregon, and Troy University. Here are the most common colleges for recreation center directors in the US based on their resumes.

Recreation center director common college	Percentages
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	10.81%
University of Oregon	10.81%
Troy University	8.11%
University of Phoenix	8.11%
San Diego State University	8.11%

Show more common recreation center director colleges

Best majors for recreation center directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	15.0%
2	Kinesiology	13.0%
3	Recreation Management	9.0%
4	Psychology	7.0%
5	Rehabilitation Science	6.0%

Show more common recreation center director majors

Best colleges for recreation center directors

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

A recreation center 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 recreation center 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 recreation center 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 recreation center directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreation center directors

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

If the best universities for recreation center 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 recreation center 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 recreation center directors

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

Some great schools for recreation center 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 recreation center 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 recreation center directors

The easiest schools for recreation center 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 a recreation center 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 recreation center 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 recreation center director salary by education level

Recreation center directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $49,811 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, recreation center directors earn a median annual income of $45,255 compared to $39,953 for recreation center directors with an Associate degree.

Recreation center director education level	Recreation center director salary
Master's Degree	$49,811
High School Diploma or Less	$32,102
Bachelor's Degree	$45,255
Some College/ Associate Degree	$39,953

Recreation center director education FAQs

What is the best college for Recreation Center 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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