### SUMMARY

 Majoring in Recreational Therapy is a valuable choice and commonly an essential first step for undergrads endeavoring to begin a career as a recreational therapist, a bouldering instructor, or a yoga instructor. Interestingly, recreational therapy is a very rare major coming in at the 231st most popular major. Last year alone, there were 842 recreational therapy diplomas received. In-state tuition for recreational therapy at private colleges is, on average, 2.6 times more expensive than their public rivals.

 With only 32 colleges having programs for recreational therapy you may have a smaller selection of institutions which will have a degree program for you. If you are looking to surround yourself with other recreational therapy undergraduates, look at institutions in North Carolina which have the most undergraduates admitted to recreational therapy annually. More generally, the best region to get a degree in recreational therapy is in the Great Lakes region with [Central Michigan University](/colleges/central-michigan-university), [University of Toledo](/colleges/university-of-toledo), and [University of Wisconsin-La Crosse](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection of the top conference to study recreational therapy is the Mid-American Conference with [Central Michigan University](/colleges/central-michigan-university), [Eastern Michigan University](/colleges/eastern-michigan-university), and [University of Toledo](/colleges/university-of-toledo) representing the conference. From our list on the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our choice for the best school for recreational therapy is [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo).

 The best school does not have to be the 'best' school for every student. There might be tons of perspectives to weigh when deciding on institution. Things like campus amenities, transportation services, and food might definitely affect your decision of which school to attend. Here at Authority, we have examined the pros and cons for you. If, as an example, you are interested in which recreational therapy college is home to the superior campus, the answer is [Temple University](/colleges/temple-university). If, for example, you are very interested in which college has the top campus, we have an entire page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, student reviews, government databases, and more in order to compare every U.S. major in an unbiased and informative way. You can find our comprehensive list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and from that list, our pick of the university with the best student life for recreational therapy is [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo). Curious why? Continue scrolling to find out more about our top choices. Some of our picks just might shock you.

 If expense is a primary factor in your decision on where to go to university, you might be cautious about [Calvin University](/colleges/calvin-university). [Calvin University](/colleges/calvin-university)&nbspis our most expensive college for recreational therapy, at least for out of state enrollment. We do have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that could put the cost at [Calvin University](/colleges/calvin-university)&nbspinto perspective. Additionally, you could be interested to know that recreational therapy is the 349th most expensive program in the United States, with an average expense of $19,600. To zoom out a little, the most expensive state for recreational therapy on our list is Indiana demonstrated by a tuition of $26,990 at the main college in the state Indiana Institute of Technology. To zoom out even further, the most expensive region for recreational therapy is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [University of Southern Maine](/colleges/university-of-southern-maine) with a cost of $20,692, and [Unity College](/colleges/unity-college) with a cost of $28,800.

 Our cheapest region for recreational therapy is the Rocky Mountains region which is represented by [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo) with a cost of $5,790 and [University of Utah](/colleges/university-of-utah) with a cost of $26,017. On the bright side, the most affordable school for recreational therapy is [Southern University and A & M College](/colleges/southern-university-and-a-m-college). Authority's comprehensive list of the most affordable schools can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state attendees can anticipate paying around $9,800 for a degree in recreational therapy. That price grows by a lot to a median of $20,100 for an out-of-state public-school undergraduate. Our selection for the university constituting the best value for recreational therapy: [Calvin University](/colleges/calvin-university). Here you can see our comprehensive list on the schools we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. Bear in mind, this list is based on the assumption that you are an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when it comes to in-state tuition, as such, we are using out-of-state tuition as the baseline.

 Earnings for recreational therapy students vary widely, but within two years finishing the degree graduates will regularly make around $56,800. While there is a lot of variation in earnings potential; highest paid earners can bring in up to $90,800. Even right out of college, the lowest earning positions within the recreational therapy field earn $35,100, which isn't that bad. The highest earning graduates from recreational therapy have come from [University of Wisconsin-La Crosse](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse)&nbspand if you want to find the colleges with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The all-around diversity of recreational therapy stands near the bottom, ranking within only the 2nd percentile of majors nationally. The school with the highest composite diversity for recreational therapy is [Indiana Institute of Technology](/colleges/indiana-institute-of-technology)&nbspand here you can find our general list for the universities with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of the Recreational Therapy major only stands within the 99th percentile of all majors. Racial diversity is even less in the 3rd percentile. White students make up the largest share at 85% of students studying recreational therapy. Additionally, 91% of students seeking a recreational therapy degree are women.

 The median rating for recreational therapy professors is 4 stars, which is exactly the median across all majors; this is a fine. If you want to find the most popular recreational therapy professor in the nation, look no further than Mark Dotson at [Western Michigan University-Thomas M. Cooley Law School](/colleges/western-michigan-university-thomas-m-cooley-law-school). It may surprise you, but the top rated instructors of recreational therapy according to students are found at [San Francisco State University](/colleges/san-francisco-state-university). If we incorporate data other than just rankings it becomes clear that the university with the best professors for recreational therapy is [University of Utah](/colleges/university-of-utah). You can find an explanation of our ever evolving ranking methodology for the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), as well as many of the finest examples of instructors in the U.S.

 Finally, the most difficult school to get into for recreational therapy is [Southern University and A & M College](/colleges/southern-university-and-a-m-college). While we think of this list more as a novelty, we do have an extensive page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, we do hope you understand that looking at college from context primarily shaped by superlatives might create problems. We encourage you to look at some of our other pages on different colleges and peruse some of our helpful background articles on essential details to think about as your college search develops.



 ### POPULARITY

 Recreational therapy is the 231st most popular degree in America, with 842 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #232 [Ecology](/rankings/best-colleges-for-ecology), and narrowly lost to #230 [Religious Education](/rankings/best-colleges-for-religious-education).

 The degree is offered at a total of 32 colleges across the nation, and is the 334th most widely offered degree. It is not offered at any of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that 7/10ths of colleges offering recreational therapy are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The great lakes produces the most recreational therapy graduates, largely led by [Central Michigan University](/colleges/central-michigan-university), while it’s the Mid-American Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, North Carolina ranks highest, with particular help from [East Carolina University](/colleges/east-carolina-university) and [University of North Carolina Wilmington](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-wilmington).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more recreational therapy graduates than [Manchester Community College](/colleges/manchester-community-college), which graduated 74 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study recreational therapy). More students studied recreational therapy as a percentage of total students at [Unity College](/colleges/unity-college) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Recreational therapy is the 349th most expensive major in the United States, with a median cost of $19,600 for the top 50 programs (just ahead of #350, [Behavioral Sciences](rankings/best-colleges-for-behavioral-sciences), with a median cost of $19,533).

 New England has the most expensive schools with top 50 recreational therapy programs predominantly led by [University of Southern Maine](/colleges/university-of-southern-maine) with an annual cost of $20,692. Indiana is the most expensive state for recreational therapy led by [Indiana Institute of Technology](/colleges/indiana-institute-of-technology).

 Public schools with solid programs typically charge 61.51% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 20.65% less than the median private school. So, if you're looking into studying at a state school, make sure you qualify for in-state tuition ASAP.

 The most expensive top 25 college for recreational therapy is [Calvin University](/colleges/calvin-university). The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Southern University and A & M College](/colleges/southern-university-and-a-m-college). It costs just $4,972 per year, and it is its recreational therapy program is ranked #12. Another more affordable choice would be #15, [Western Carolina University](/colleges/western-carolina-university) in Jackson County, NC with a cost of $1,000 for in-state students and $5,000 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 College is a large investment for most people. It's critical to be confident you get a high return on your investment. We aim for the following career and income insights to support you in making an informed decision when picking your major.

 Fresh out of college, Recreational Therapy graduates make $61,154 a year on average, making them the 43rd highest earning graduates. After a little time in their vocations, they generally make something between $35,064 and $90,834, but average approximately $56,787. To put it in context, that's 47% higher than the United States average.

 The most common job placement for a Recreational Therapy graduate is Registered Nurse, which commonly earn close to $46,000; next are Certified Nursing Assistant and Web Developer, which generally earn about $22,000 and $55,000 respectively.

 The Great Lakes has the highest grossing Recreational Therapy graduates. The most well paid state for Recreational Therapy alumni is MI. The highest grossing conference for Recreational Therapy graduates is Patriot League.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Recreational Therapy: Median Professor Rating: 4 / 5, which is below average.

 Instructors consistently play an influential role in your college experience, no matter what you study. A good instructor might help a student find their passion and set a student up for future success. Conversely, a bad experience with a professor can mess up your schooling or even worse... flunk you!

 Professors of Recreational Therapy have a median student rating of 4 / 5, putting them in the upper 61st percentile in the US grounded in student approval. Suprisingly, this major is exactly the median for professor rating, which, in our opinion, is remarkably average! Recreational Therapy professors slightly out-ranked those from ["Medical Records Administration"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-medical-records-administration), whereas ["Construction Engineering"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-construction-engineering)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Recreational Therapy.

 Now for some statistics about Recreational Therapy professors. Colleges located in large suburbs tend to have the best Recreational Therapy professors. The City University of New York Athletic Conference has the highest rated Recreational Therapy professors. The Rocky Mountains region has the highest rated Recreational Therapy professors. Public colleges tend to have higher rated Recreational Therapy professors than private institutions. Finally, Utah has the highest rated Recreational Therapy professors in America.

 Mark Dotson, instructor at [Western Michigan University-Thomas M. Cooley Law School](/colleges/western-michigan-university-thomas-m-cooley-law-school)&nbspin Lansing, MI is the most popular Recreational Therapy professor in America. Justin Watts, professor at [University of North Texas](/colleges/university-of-north-texas)&nbspin Denton, TX is the highest rated Recreational Therapy professor in the US, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Want to know which universities have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College often is an awfully consequential time of one's life; it's a chance for personal progress and development. Undergraduates continue to learn who they can be and build many of the imperative skills to be a halcyon member of society. But learning is not entirely confined to the classroom - the campus dialogue, the life lesson gained from a tenured instructor, the exposure to a different interpretation of the situation. As such, a diverse college experience vastly enhances what you gain from your time in university.

 Recreational Therapy is in the bottom 10% of subjects for racial diversity\*. It has the 10th biggest share of white students. 85% of the United States' Recreational Therapy majors are white students, followed by black students (8%), latino students (4%), and students of other races\*\*(3%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [Utica College](/colleges/utica-college) located in Utica, NY.

 Secondly, Recreational Therapy skews very heavily female, more so 94% of subjects. Faintly greater than nine in every ten students majoring in Recreational Therapy identify as women. [Longwood University](/colleges/longwood-university) in Farmville, VA has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another significant type of diversity is class diversity. Recreational Therapy is the 6th most financially diverse focus in the US. 25% of its students come from homes that take home more than $110,000 a year, 19% are from homes with $75,000 to $110,000 annual incomes, and 24% grew up in families with a sub $30,000 yearly income. [East Carolina University](/colleges/east-carolina-university) is the most socioeconomically diverse college in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall UT is the most diverse state for Recreational Therapy. The Rocky Mountains is the most diverse region, and the Empire Eight is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 1%
* Black: 8%
* Latino: 4%
* White: 85%
* Other: 3%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 9%
* Female: 91%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 24%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 17%
* 75k - 110k: 19%
* Over 110k: 25%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 84%
* Out of State: 15%
* International: 2%


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2023 Recreational Therapy Salary

There are about 3,232 students enrolled in Recreational Therapy in the USA.

SALARY