Best Recreation Management Schools Near Ashland, KY (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Ashland, Kentucky has 1 accredited school offering recreation management programs, with tuition ranging from $9,162 to $20,342 per year for indexed programs. Ashland has a population of about 21,405. Median household income is $52,199 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning recreation management-related role is Entertainment and Recreation Manager at a median $80,130 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Recreation Management Schools to Ashland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer recreation management programs near Ashland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ashland city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Ashland. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, KY 102.8 miles from Ashland BOC Score 52.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,795
Avg net price $11,040/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,320
Out‑of‑state$21,230
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Union Commonwealth University

Barbourville, KY 129.2 miles from Ashland BOC Score 30.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,002
Avg net price $21,311/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lindsey Wilson College

Columbia, KY 172.7 miles from Ashland BOC Score 39.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,129
Avg net price $15,070/yr
Tuition
In‑state$27,808
Out‑of‑state$27,808
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 231.9 miles from Ashland BOC Score 52.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,889
Avg net price $10,990/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kentucky schools on the Kentucky recreation management page.

Recreation Management Wages Near Ashland

Ashland is part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area (BLS area code 26580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Entertainment and Recreation Manager$80,130KY statewide$90,645
Recreation Worker$30,240Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH$34,208
Lodging Manager$59,940Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH$67,805

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Ashland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population21,405Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,199Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+24.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Ashland-Area Cities With Recreation Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited recreation management schools are near Ashland, KY?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering recreation management programs near Ashland. The closest is Marshall University in Huntington, WV (12.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Marshall University (12.0 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying recreation management roles near Ashland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying recreation management-related roles near Ashland are: Entertainment and Recreation Manager ($80,130), Lodging Manager ($59,940), Recreation Worker ($30,240). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Huntington instead of Ashland?

Huntington, WV is 11.9 miles from Ashland and has its own set of local recreation management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Ashland an affordable place to study recreation management?

Ashland’s median household income of $52,199 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ashland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Recreation Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Ashland

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Ashland:

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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