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Recreation therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a recreation therapist. Recreation therapists usually study rehabilitation science, recreation management, or psychology. 76% of recreation therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,391 real recreation therapist resumes to see exactly what recreation therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for recreation therapists are the Temple University and the Temple University.
There are also many online recreation therapist courses to help get the education required to be a recreation therapist.
There are certain recreation therapist certifications that you should consider. These recreation therapist certifications include Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a recreation therapist?
What degree do you need to be a recreation therapist?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a recreation therapist?
- Psychology, 9%
- Health Education, 4%
- Other Majors, 28%
Most common colleges for recreation therapists
| Recreation therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Temple University | 7.92% |
| Southern University and A & M College | 7.23% |
| University of Southern Mississippi | 6.54% |
| Central Michigan University | 6.37% |
| Grambling State University | 5.85% |
Best majors for recreation therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rehabilitation Science | 42.5% |
| 2 | Recreation Management | 17.2% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.2% |
| 4 | Health Education | 4.4% |
| 5 | Kinesiology | 3.4% |
Best colleges for recreation therapists
The best colleges for recreation therapists are Northwestern University, University of Maryland - College Park, and Tufts University.
A recreation therapist 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 therapists. 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 therapists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,310
Enrollment
28,439
3. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Enrollment
23,396
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Enrollment
11,559
6. SUNY College at Cortland
Cortland, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,536
Enrollment
6,325
7. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for recreation therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreation therapists
The most affordable schools for recreation therapists are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for recreation therapists 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 therapists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
4. California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,310
Cost of attendance
19,807
5. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
6. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
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. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recreation therapists
The hardest universities for recreation therapists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Maryland - College Park, and Tufts University.
Some great schools for recreation therapists 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 therapists 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 Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
3. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
4. Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,321
5. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,336
8. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
9. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,345
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for recreation therapists
The easiest schools for recreation therapists to get into are AdventHealth University, barry 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 therapist 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 therapists.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
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. California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,030
Average recreation therapist salary by education level
| Recreation therapist education level | Recreation therapist salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,970 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,264 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,801 |
Recreation therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025