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Recreation technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a recreation technician. Recreation technicians usually study recreation management, psychology, or forestry. 70% of recreation technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 483 real recreation technician resumes to see exactly what recreation technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for recreation technicians are the Southern Utah University and the Southern Utah University.
There are also many online recreation technician courses to help get the education required to be a recreation technician.
What education do you need to become a recreation technician?
What degree do you need to be a recreation technician?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a recreation technician?
- Psychology, 9%
- Forestry, 7%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 64%
Most common colleges for recreation technicians
| Recreation technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Southern Utah University | 9.88% |
| Utah State University | 8.64% |
| Oregon State University | 7.41% |
| Wingate University | 7.41% |
| Northern Arizona University | 6.17% |
Best majors for recreation technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recreation Management | 12.7% |
| 2 | Psychology | 9.4% |
| 3 | Forestry | 7.2% |
| 4 | Business | 6.6% |
| 5 | Environmental Science | 6.1% |
Best colleges for recreation technicians
The best colleges for recreation technicians are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A recreation technician 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 technicians. 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 technicians.
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 California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
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 technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreation technicians
The most affordable schools for recreation technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for recreation technicians 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 technicians.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recreation technicians
The hardest universities for recreation technicians to get into are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for recreation technicians 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 technicians 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Colby College
Waterville, ME • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,437
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for recreation technicians
The easiest schools for recreation technicians to get into are Curry College, wayland baptist university, and life university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a recreation technician 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 technicians.
1. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
7. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average recreation technician salary by education level
| Recreation technician education level | Recreation technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,414 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,389 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,443 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,556 |
Recreation technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025