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Recreation leader education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a recreation leader. Recreation leaders usually study business, psychology, or kinesiology. 53% of recreation leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 13,207 real recreation leader resumes to see exactly what recreation leader education sections show.
The most common colleges for recreation leaders are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.
There are also many online recreation leader courses to help get the education required to be a recreation leader.
There are certain recreation leader certifications that you should consider. These recreation leader certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS).
What education do you need to become a recreation leader?
What degree do you need to be a recreation leader?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- High School Diploma, 19%
- Associate, 19%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a recreation leader?
- Business, 14%
- Psychology, 10%
- Kinesiology, 9%
- Liberal Arts, 7%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for recreation leaders
| Recreation leader common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - San Bernardino | 13.19% |
| San Jose State University | 8.49% |
| Arizona State University | 8.39% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.79% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.49% |
Best majors for recreation leaders
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 13.7% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.0% |
| 3 | Kinesiology | 9.4% |
| 4 | Liberal Arts | 7.3% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 7.2% |
Best colleges for recreation leaders
The best colleges for recreation leaders are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A recreation leader 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 leaders. 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 leaders.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for recreation leaders
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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreation leaders
The most affordable schools for recreation leaders are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for recreation leaders 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 leaders.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recreation leaders
The hardest universities for recreation leaders to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for recreation leaders 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 leaders 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for recreation leaders
The easiest schools for recreation leaders to get into are Bluefield College, notre dame de namur university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a recreation leader 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 leaders.
1. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average recreation leader salary by education level
| Recreation leader education level | Recreation leader salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $33,617 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,195 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $32,598 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,320 |
Recreation leader 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