Recreation & Fitness

About Recreation & Fitness

Wondering whether Recreation & Fitness is worth studying? What matters is what graduates actually earn, where they end up working, and which colleges produce the most of them. Most graduates end up in this field, so it is worth knowing what Facilities Managers earn and how the role is projected to grow.

Athletic training, fitness coaching, sports management, and recreation administration. Careers built around keeping people active and at their physical best. Four years after finishing the degree, graduates in this field earn a national median of $54,562, per College Scorecard. You can study it at 1,475 colleges and universities across the country, so location is rarely the limiting factor. About 70,747 students complete a degree in this area every year.

Median Earnings · 1yr

$31,017

Median Earnings · 4yr

$54,562

Colleges Offering

1,475

Graduates / Year

70,747

Specializations

5

Avg Net Price / yr

$13,874

Is a Recreation & Fitness Degree Right for You?

Is the Investment Worth It?

Solid ROI. Median earnings of $54,562 after 4 years. Against an estimated $55,496 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 2.3 years.

How Much Do Recreation & Fitness Majors Earn?

Pay for Recreation & Fitness graduates climbs fast in the first few years out. The median start is $31,017 one year after graduation, rising to $54,562 by year four, so the early salary is not the ceiling. Source: College Scorecard, across all 1,475 US institutions offering programs in this field.

What Can You Do With a Recreation & Fitness Degree?

Career Paths for Recreation & Fitness Graduates

Studying Recreation & Fitness does not lock you into one job title. It opens 8 occupations tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from entry-level roles to senior ones, and Facilities Managers pays the most among them at a median $106,660 a year. Each row below adds national wages, employment levels, and the 10-year growth outlook so you can weigh the rest.

Another common path leads to what a General & Operations Manager typically earns and how the field is trending.

Recreation & Fitness Specializations

Recreation & Fitness spans 5 specializations, and the choice among them will not swing your paycheck much: four-year earnings run from $39,157 to $54,562 across the whole group. Each row links to a full program profile with institution counts and annual completion data. Source: College Scorecard.

The highest-paying specialization is the cost and outcomes for a Kinesiology program, which is worth a closer look before settling on the broader field.

Best Colleges for Recreation & Fitness

These are the 20 colleges that graduate the most students in Recreation & Fitness, ranked by how many completed the degree in the most recent reporting year, not by selectivity or prestige. Acceptance rate, net price, earnings, and graduation rate for each one come from College Scorecard and IPEDS.

By that measure, the list starts with the cost and admissions data for University of Iowa.

Ranked by number of Recreation & Fitness graduates per IPEDS completion data. Acceptance rate, net price, earnings, and graduation rate from College Scorecard. Read our methodology →

How Recreation & Fitness Compares to Similar Majors

Plan Your Path

Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Recreation & Fitness degree, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find programs that match your profile.

Recreation & Fitness Degree: Pros & Cons

Recreation & Fitness is a mixed case: real strengths, offset by real trade-offs, and neither side is large enough to settle the decision on its own. All 4 points below are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, and IPEDS graduate counts, with no editorial opinion added.

Recreation & Fitness Degree: Frequently Asked Questions