Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Therapeutic recreation assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a therapeutic recreation assistant. Therapeutic recreation assistants usually study psychology, rehabilitation science, or sociology. 65% of therapeutic recreation assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,200 real therapeutic recreation assistant resumes to see exactly what therapeutic recreation assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for therapeutic recreation assistants are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.
There are also many online therapeutic recreation assistant courses to help get the education required to be a therapeutic recreation assistant.
There are certain therapeutic recreation assistant certifications that you should consider. These therapeutic recreation assistant certifications include Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
What education do you need to become a therapeutic recreation assistant?
What degree do you need to be a therapeutic recreation assistant?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a therapeutic recreation assistant?
- Psychology, 26%
- Sociology, 6%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for therapeutic recreation assistants
| Therapeutic recreation assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida State University | 8.86% |
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 7.59% |
| Southern Connecticut State University | 7.59% |
| College of Charleston | 7.59% |
| Temple University | 6.33% |
Best majors for therapeutic recreation assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 25.8% |
| 2 | Rehabilitation Science | 11.5% |
| 3 | Sociology | 5.6% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 5.6% |
| 5 | Recreation Management | 5.6% |
Best colleges for therapeutic recreation assistants
The best colleges for therapeutic recreation assistants are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
A therapeutic recreation assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for therapeutic recreation assistants. 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 therapeutic recreation assistants.
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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for therapeutic recreation assistants
Advertising disclosure
1. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
2. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
3. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs
Active Directory & Group Policy Administration Basics for Helpdesk and Desktop / IT Support Technicians...
4. Active Directory & Group Policy Lab
Learn REAL job skills and stack your resume with the experience you will gain in this course!...
5. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
6. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
7. Azure Active Directory Masterclass
Learn to be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Azure Active Directory...
8. Active Directory on Windows Server
Learn how to deploy and manage all aspects of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS and many more technologies...
9. PowerShell for Active Directory Administrators
Use Power Shell to manage Active Directory users, computer, groups, security settings and more on Windows Server...
10. Mastering Group Policy on Windows Server
An IT person's guide to managing Active Directory Users and Computers with Group Policy...
11. Azure - Active Directory
Learn Azure as it pertains to Active Directory...
12. [Active Directory] Management using Windows PowerShell
[Power Shell] Simplified practical knowledge for automation & management of [Active Directory] using Windows Power Shell...
13. Active Directory and Windows Server 40+ Hour with Labs
Domain Controllers (DC), Global Catalog, FSMO, Groups, Users, Security, Domains and Forests ,Trusts, GPO, much more....
14. Active Directory Pentesting Full Course - Red Team Hacking
Attacking and Hacking Active Directory...
15. Successful Events: Event Planning, Marketing & Management
Create a single successful event or event-series with effective event promotion, planning, management, and monetization...
16. Identity & Access Management - Azure Active Directory
Learn about Identity, Directory , SAML , OAUTH , Open ID Connect , Identity Security and Azure Active Directory...
17. Crisis Intervention Seminar
The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...
18. TOTAL: Active Directory with Windows Server 2016
Identity, Access, and Authentication with Microsoft AD and Identity with Windows Server 2016...
19. Azure Active Directory And Azure AD Domain Services
Learn how Azure Active Directory, On-Premises Active directory and Azure AD Domain Services (AADDS) integrate together...
20. Active Directory Pentesting With Kali Linux - Red Team
Attacking and Hacking Active Directory With Kali Linux Full Course - Red Team Hacking Pentesting...
Top 10 most affordable universities for therapeutic recreation assistants
The most affordable schools for therapeutic recreation assistants are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for therapeutic recreation assistants 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 therapeutic recreation assistants.
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 therapeutic recreation assistants
The hardest universities for therapeutic recreation assistants to get into are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for therapeutic recreation assistants 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 therapeutic recreation assistants 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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 therapeutic recreation assistants
The easiest schools for therapeutic recreation assistants 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 therapeutic recreation assistant 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 therapeutic recreation assistants.
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. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
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 therapeutic recreation assistant salary by education level
| Therapeutic recreation assistant education level | Therapeutic recreation assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $31,496 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $24,149 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,721 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $27,564 |
Therapeutic recreation assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
Search for therapeutic recreation assistant jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025