Recreation worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a recreation worker. Recreation workers usually study business, criminal justice, or general studies. 43% of recreation workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 1,071 real recreation worker resumes to see exactly what recreation worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for recreation workers are the University of Arizona and the University of Arizona.

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

What education do you need to become a recreation worker?

What degree do you need to be a recreation worker?

The most common degree for recreation workers is bachelor's degree, with 43% of recreation workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 26% and high school diploma degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 43%

High School Diploma, 26%

Associate, 18%

Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a recreation worker?

You should major in business to become a recreation worker. 16% of recreation workers major in business. Other common majors for a recreation worker include criminal justice and general studies.

Business, 16%

Criminal Justice, 10%

General Studies, 9%

Liberal Arts, 9%

Other Majors, 56%

Most common colleges for recreation workers

Recreation workers often get their degrees at University of Arizona, East Tennessee State University, and The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. Here are the most common colleges for recreation workers in the US based on their resumes.

Recreation worker common college	Percentages
University of Arizona	16.67%
East Tennessee State University	8.33%
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga	6.67%
University of Pennsylvania	5.00%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	5.00%

Show more common recreation worker colleges

Best majors for recreation workers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	16.1%
2	Criminal Justice	9.8%
3	General Studies	9.1%
4	Liberal Arts	8.7%
5	Psychology	7.1%

Show more common recreation worker majors

Best colleges for recreation workers

The best colleges for recreation workers are SUNY College at Cortland, Minnesota State University - Mankato, and Eastern Mennonite University.

A recreation worker 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 workers. 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 workers.

1. SUNY College at Cortland

Cortland, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,536

Enrollment

6,325

2. Winona State University

Winona, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,425

Enrollment

7,052

3. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

4. Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$37,110

Enrollment

1,030

5. University of Idaho

Moscow, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$7,864

Enrollment

7,528

6. University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$8,580

Enrollment

10,482

7. Montreat College

Montreat, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,920

Enrollment

714

8. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Enrollment

1,216

9. Plymouth State University

Plymouth, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$14,099

Enrollment

4,135

10. Northwest Nazarene University

Nampa, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$29,800

Enrollment

1,268

20 best online courses for recreation workers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreation workers

The most affordable schools for recreation workers are Minnesota State University - Mankato, suny college at cortland, and university of alaska southeast.

If the best universities for recreation workers 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 workers.

1. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Cost of attendance

19,883

2. SUNY College at Cortland

Cortland, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,536

Cost of attendance

24,661

3. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Cost of attendance

16,853

4. Winona State University

Winona, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,425

Cost of attendance

21,418

5. University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$8,580

Cost of attendance

19,942

6. University of Idaho

Moscow, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$7,864

Cost of attendance

20,937

7. Murray State University

Murray, KY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,084

Cost of attendance

20,984

8. Lubbock Christian University

Lubbock, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$22,440

Cost of attendance

33,984

9. Alaska Pacific University

Anchorage, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$20,760

Cost of attendance

34,990

10. Toccoa Falls College

Toccoa Falls, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$22,744

Cost of attendance

35,684

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recreation workers

The hardest universities for recreation workers to get into are SUNY College at Cortland, Minnesota State University - Mankato, and Eastern Mennonite University.

Some great schools for recreation workers 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 workers 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. SUNY College at Cortland

Cortland, NY • Private

Admissions rate

44%

SAT average

1,138

2. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

Admissions rate

61%

SAT average

1,105

3. Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,144

4. Lubbock Christian University

Lubbock, TX • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,094

5. Winona State University

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,119

6. Northwest Nazarene University

Nampa, ID • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,148

7. Toccoa Falls College

Toccoa Falls, GA • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,077

8. Murray State University

Murray, KY • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,180

9. Montreat College

Montreat, NC • Private

Admissions rate

55%

SAT average

1,060

10. University of Idaho

Moscow, ID • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,125

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

The easiest schools for recreation workers to get into are Lubbock Christian University, fort lewis college, and minnesota state university - mankato.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a recreation worker 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 workers.

1. Lubbock Christian University

Lubbock, TX • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,094

2. Fort Lewis College

Durango, CO • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

3. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

Admissions rate

61%

SAT average

1,105

4. Winona State University

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,119

5. Toccoa Falls College

Toccoa Falls, GA • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,077

6. SUNY College at Cortland

Cortland, NY • Private

Admissions rate

44%

SAT average

1,138

7. Young Harris College

Young Harris, GA • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,045

8. Black Hills State University

Spearfish, SD • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,084

9. Northwest Nazarene University

Nampa, ID • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,148

10. Montreat College

Montreat, NC • Private

Admissions rate

55%

SAT average

1,060

Average recreation worker salary by education level

According to our data, recreation workers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $32,189 annually. Recreation workers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $30,903.

Recreation worker education level	Recreation worker salary
Master's Degree	$32,189
High School Diploma or Less	$26,704
Bachelor's Degree	$30,903
Some College/ Associate Degree	$29,307

Recreation worker education FAQs

What is the best college for Recreation Workers?

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

Search for recreation worker 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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