To date, we’ve asked 165 current and past recreation and fitness students about their happiness with their degree. Turns out, they rate it average.

You don’t have to choose a major right away, but at some point you will.

To help you reach the decision that is right for you, we asked students who have pursued a recreation and fitness degree to respond to questions concerning five dimensions of the educational track they chose:

  • Course material: Were they interested in the material they learned?
  • Intellectual fulfillment: Did they find the coursework intellectually stimulating?
  • Job prospects: Did they leave the program with job opportunities?
  • Personality: Was the degree a good fit for their personality?
  • Overall fit: Were they happy with the program overall?

We examined their responses and combined the rankings to give us an average satisfaction score across all students. This doesn't necessarily reflect how satisfied you would be with a recreation and fitness degree, but it’s a starting point to help you evaluate your options.

How satisfied are recreation and fitness students compared to other degrees?

Overall, recreation and fitness students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 3.0 out of 5. This is low compared to other degrees which average a rating of 3.28 across all degrees. For context, recreation and fitness students rate their happiness similarly to students in Geology, Teacher Education and Professional Development and Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences.

Here are other degrees that have a similar satisfaction rating to recreation and fitness

DegreeAvg Grad SalarySatisfaction
Mass Communication and Media Studies$66,321
Criminal Justice and Related Studies$56,160
Molecular Biology$68,819
Recreation and Fitness$52,219
Geology$71,228
Teacher Education and Professional Development$40,725
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences$55,033
Advertising$65,632
Nursing$64,006

Let's break that down further.

Are recreation and fitness students satisfied with what they’re learning?

We asked students about their satisfaction with their course material and overall intellectual fulfillment. Here’s what they said:

We asked graduates how interesting they found the course material to be. Their response was:
3.9 out of 5 stars
190 ratings
5 stars
33%
4 stars
30%
3 stars
29%
2 stars
5%
1 stars
2%
We asked graduates how intellectually fulfilling they found the degree. Their response was:
3.4 out of 5 stars
185 ratings
5 stars
18%
4 stars
32%
3 stars
28%
2 stars
16%
1 stars
4%

These ratings are meant to give you an indication about what other people enrolled in recreation and fitness experienced. While their input is useful, keep in mind that different people have had vastly different experiences, all of which were impacted by their personal motivations, professors, and specific curriculum. Always keep your own goals at the center of your decision-making process when it comes to something as significant as your education.

Did recreation and fitness graduates leave school with good job prospects?

Of course, working towards a degree is also about pursuing your desired career. Here’s what recreation and fitness grads had to say about their job prospects:

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their job prospects. Their response was:
2.5 out of 5 stars
187 ratings
5 stars
6%
4 stars
11%
3 stars
33%
2 stars
30%
1 stars
20%

These responses represent a wide range of opinions. Things like extracurricular activities, internships and work placements can set you up for success after graduation.

Were recreation and fitness students happy with their degree overall?

This rating takes into account all factors: how demanding the program is, whether graduates felt it was worthwhile, and how fulfilling they found their educational experience.

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their degree as a whole. Their response was:
3.0 out of 5 stars
165 ratings
5 stars
14%
4 stars
21%
3 stars
27%
2 stars
27%
1 stars
9%

As you consider this information and input from others, remember above all that your choice should be based on your interests, goals, passions, and abilities. Consider the future and give yourself time. If you’re feeling unsure, click here to take our career assessment and see what path could be right for you.

Overview

Discover what you’ll learn—and what you can do after you graduate.

Read about Overview