Best Recreation Management Schools Near Lexington, KY (2026)

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

Lexington, Kentucky has 4 accredited schools offering recreation management programs, with tuition ranging from $5,517 to $30,946 per year for indexed programs. Lexington has a population of about 312,495. In the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area, the top-earning recreation management-related role is Entertainment and Recreation Manager at a median $99,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Recreation Management Schools to Lexington

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer recreation management programs near Lexington, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lexington 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 Lexington. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, KY 22.4 miles from Lexington 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

Lindsey Wilson College

Columbia, KY 79.6 miles from Lexington 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

#3

Union Commonwealth University

Barbourville, KY 86.9 miles from Lexington 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

#4

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 131.7 miles from Lexington 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 Lexington

Lexington is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area (BLS area code 30460). 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$99,770Lexington-Fayette, KY$107,395
Recreation Worker$32,720Lexington-Fayette, KY$35,221
Lodging Manager$61,100Lexington-Fayette, KY$65,770

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.

Lexington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lexington-Area Cities With Recreation Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering recreation management programs near Lexington. The closest is Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY (22.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Union College (86.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying recreation management-related roles near Lexington are: Entertainment and Recreation Manager ($99,770), Lodging Manager ($61,100), Recreation Worker ($32,720). 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 Nicholasville instead of Lexington?

Nicholasville, KY is 12.0 miles from Lexington 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.

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 Lexington

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

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.

Back to Best Recreation Management Schools in Kentucky (2026)