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Recreation specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a recreation specialist. Recreation specialists usually study kinesiology, recreation management, or business. 65% of recreation specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,657 real recreation specialist resumes to see exactly what recreation specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for recreation specialists are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.
There are also many online recreation specialist courses to help get the education required to be a recreation specialist.
There are certain recreation specialist certifications that you should consider. These recreation specialist certifications include Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a recreation specialist?
What degree do you need to be a recreation specialist?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a recreation specialist?
- Kinesiology, 15%
- Business, 10%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for recreation specialists
| Recreation specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - San Bernardino | 10.16% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.34% |
| Old Dominion University | 6.32% |
| Texas State University | 5.49% |
| San Diego State University | 5.49% |
Best majors for recreation specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 15.0% |
| 2 | Recreation Management | 12.4% |
| 3 | Business | 10.3% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.5% |
| 5 | Health Education | 7.3% |
Best colleges for recreation specialists
The best colleges for recreation specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.
A recreation specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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 specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreation specialists
The most affordable schools for recreation specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for recreation specialists 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 specialists.
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 specialists
The hardest universities for recreation specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for recreation specialists 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 specialists 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
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 specialists
The easiest schools for recreation specialists 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 specialist 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 specialists.
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 specialist salary by education level
| Recreation specialist education level | Recreation specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,401 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,751 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,608 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,384 |
Recreation specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025