Recreation director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a recreation director. Recreation directors usually study recreation management, business, or rehabilitation science. 71% of recreation directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,763 real recreation director resumes to see exactly what recreation director education sections show.

The most common colleges for recreation directors are the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.

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

There are certain recreation director certifications that you should consider. These recreation director certifications include Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and Activity Director Certified (ADC).

What education do you need to become a recreation director?

What degree do you need to be a recreation director?

The most common degree for recreation directors is bachelor's degree, with 71% of 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, 5%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a recreation director?

You should major in recreation management to become a recreation director. 13% of recreation directors major in recreation management. Other common majors for a recreation director include business and rehabilitation science.

Recreation Management, 13%

Business, 12%

Rehabilitation Science, 11%

Kinesiology, 10%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for recreation directors

Recreation directors often get their degrees at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, University of New Hampshire, and Temple University. Here are the most common colleges for recreation directors in the US based on their resumes.

Recreation director common college	Percentages
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania	6.44%
University of New Hampshire	6.01%
Temple University	6.01%
University of Phoenix	6.01%
Montclair State University	6.01%

Show more common recreation director colleges

Best majors for recreation directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Recreation Management	13.4%
2	Business	11.8%
3	Rehabilitation Science	11.4%
4	Kinesiology	10.1%
5	Health Education	9.0%

Show more common recreation director majors

Best colleges for recreation directors

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

A 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 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 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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. SUNY College at Cortland

Cortland, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,536

Enrollment

6,325

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

8. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

9. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

10. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

20 best online courses for recreation directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreation directors

The most affordable schools for recreation directors are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for 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 recreation directors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recreation directors

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

Some great schools for 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 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

9. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

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

The easiest schools for recreation directors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average recreation director salary by education level

Recreation directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $60,804 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, recreation directors earn a median annual income of $57,165 compared to $52,759 for recreation directors with an Associate degree.

Recreation director education level	Recreation director salary
Master's Degree	$60,804
High School Diploma or Less	$45,831
Bachelor's Degree	$57,165
Some College/ Associate Degree	$52,759

Recreation director education FAQs

What is the best college for Recreation Directors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for recreation director jobs

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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