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Therapeutic recreation leader education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a therapeutic recreation leader. Therapeutic recreation leaders usually study psychology, rehabilitation science, or recreation management. 70% of therapeutic recreation leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 278 real therapeutic recreation leader resumes to see exactly what therapeutic recreation leader education sections show.
The most common colleges for therapeutic recreation leaders are the Old Dominion University and the Old Dominion University.
There are also many online therapeutic recreation leader courses to help get the education required to be a therapeutic recreation leader.
What education do you need to become a therapeutic recreation leader?
What degree do you need to be a therapeutic recreation leader?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a therapeutic recreation leader?
- Psychology, 17%
- Liberal Arts, 8%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for therapeutic recreation leaders
| Therapeutic recreation leader common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Old Dominion University | 12.00% |
| Utica College | 6.00% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.00% |
| University of North Texas | 6.00% |
| Michigan State University | 6.00% |
Best majors for therapeutic recreation leaders
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 16.8% |
| 2 | Rehabilitation Science | 13.4% |
| 3 | Recreation Management | 8.4% |
| 4 | Liberal Arts | 8.4% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 5.9% |
Best colleges for therapeutic recreation leaders
The best colleges for therapeutic recreation leaders are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A therapeutic recreation leader 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 leaders. 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 leaders.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. SUNY College at Cortland
Cortland, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,536
Enrollment
6,325
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for therapeutic recreation leaders
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Top 10 most affordable universities for therapeutic recreation leaders
The most affordable schools for therapeutic recreation leaders 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 leaders 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 leaders.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for therapeutic recreation leaders
The hardest universities for therapeutic recreation leaders to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for therapeutic recreation leaders 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 leaders 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for therapeutic recreation leaders
The easiest schools for therapeutic recreation leaders to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a therapeutic recreation leader 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 leaders.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
6. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
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. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
Average therapeutic recreation leader salary by education level
| Therapeutic recreation leader education level | Therapeutic recreation leader salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $43,309 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,699 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,174 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,437 |
Therapeutic recreation leader education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025