Recreational therapy aide education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a recreational therapy aide. Recreational therapy aides usually study rehabilitation science, psychology, or liberal arts. 61% of recreational therapy aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 192 real recreational therapy aide resumes to see exactly what recreational therapy aide education sections show.

The most common colleges for recreational therapy aides are the Temple University and the Temple University.

There are also many online recreational therapy aide courses to help get the education required to be a recreational therapy aide.

What education do you need to become a recreational therapy aide?

What degree do you need to be a recreational therapy aide?

The most common degree for recreational therapy aides is bachelor's degree, with 61% of recreational therapy aides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Associate, 16%

High School Diploma, 8%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a recreational therapy aide?

You should major in rehabilitation science to become a recreational therapy aide. 17% of recreational therapy aides major in rehabilitation science. Other common majors for a recreational therapy aide include psychology and liberal arts.

Rehabilitation Science, 17%

Psychology, 16%

Liberal Arts, 9%

Fine Arts, 5%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for recreational therapy aides

Recreational therapy aides often get their degrees at Temple University, University of Florida, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for recreational therapy aides in the US based on their resumes.

Recreational therapy aide common college	Percentages
Temple University	17.50%
University of Florida	7.50%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	7.50%
University of Utah	7.50%
Cedar Crest College	5.00%

Show more common recreational therapy aide colleges

Best majors for recreational therapy aides

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Rehabilitation Science	17.1%
2	Psychology	15.9%
3	Liberal Arts	8.5%
4	Fine Arts	4.9%
5	Kinesiology	4.9%

Show more common recreational therapy aide majors

Best colleges for recreational therapy aides

The best colleges for recreational therapy aides are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

A recreational therapy aide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for recreational therapy aides. 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 recreational therapy aides.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

20 best online courses for recreational therapy aides

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Top 10 most affordable universities for recreational therapy aides

The most affordable schools for recreational therapy aides are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for recreational therapy aides 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 recreational therapy aides.

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 Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recreational therapy aides

The hardest universities for recreational therapy aides to get into are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for recreational therapy aides 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 recreational therapy aides 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

SAT average

1,516

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for recreational therapy aides

The easiest schools for recreational therapy aides to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a recreational therapy aide 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 recreational therapy aides.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average recreational therapy aide salary by education level

Recreational therapy aides with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $52,740 annually. With a Associate degree, recreational therapy aides earn a median annual income of $46,496 compared to $41,316 for recreational therapy aides with an High School Diploma degree.

Recreational therapy aide education level	Recreational therapy aide salary
High School Diploma or Less	$41,316
Bachelor's Degree	$52,740
Some College/ Associate Degree	$46,496

Recreational therapy aide education FAQs

What is the best college for Recreational Therapy Aides?

Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.

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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.

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