Best Recreation Management Schools Near Lancaster, PA (2026)

Lancaster, Pennsylvania has 10 accredited schools offering recreation management programs, with tuition ranging from $5,394 to $41,790 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 57,683. Median household income is $63,421 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lancaster, PA metro area, the top-earning recreation management-related role is Entertainment and Recreation Manager at a median $64,310 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Recreation Management Schools to Lancaster

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

#1

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

Cheyney, PA 41.4 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 34.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,837
Avg net price $14,265/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,904
Out‑of‑state$18,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington

Abington, PA 63.1 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 43.3
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $18,071/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,268
Out‑of‑state$25,664
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 67.0 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 56.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,416
Avg net price $15,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, PA 88.7 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 51.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,148
Avg net price $18,134/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 97.2 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $32,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, PA 97.2 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 47.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $19,550/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny

McKeesport, PA 187.3 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 41.0
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $15,521/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,408
Out‑of‑state$24,134
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Pennsylvania Western University

California, PA 189.5 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 45.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,295
Avg net price $18,256/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 86

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Recreation Management Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Lancaster, PA metro area (BLS area code 29540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Entertainment and Recreation Manager$64,310Lancaster, PA$65,422
Recreation Worker$35,640Lancaster, PA$36,256
Lodging Manager$61,010Lancaster, PA$62,065

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.


Lancaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population57,683Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,421Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Recreation Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited recreation management schools are near Lancaster, PA?

Our directory has 10 accredited schools offering recreation management programs near Lancaster. The closest is Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in Cheyney, PA (41.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is George Mason University (99.4 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying recreation management-related roles near Lancaster are: Entertainment and Recreation Manager ($64,310), Lodging Manager ($61,010), Recreation Worker ($35,640). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lebanon instead of Lancaster?

Lebanon, PA is 21.6 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study recreation management?

Lancaster’s median household income of $63,421 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Lancaster

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

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.