Best Recreation Management Schools Near Pittsburgh, PA (2026)

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

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering recreation management programs, with tuition ranging from $10,104 to $28,608 per year for indexed programs. Pittsburgh has a population of about 303,620. Median household income is $64,137 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, the top-earning recreation management-related role is Entertainment and Recreation Manager at a median $71,010 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Recreation Management Schools to Pittsburgh

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

#1

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny

McKeesport, PA 10.2 miles from Pittsburgh 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

#2

Pennsylvania Western University

California, PA 26.4 miles from Pittsburgh 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

#3

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, PA 43.4 miles from Pittsburgh BOC Score 64.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,032
Avg net price $19,608/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 114.0 miles from Pittsburgh 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

#5

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, PA 114.0 miles from Pittsburgh 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

#6

Gannon University

Erie, PA 116.8 miles from Pittsburgh BOC Score 61.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,845
Avg net price $22,553/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 188.5 miles from Pittsburgh 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

#8

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

Cheyney, PA 237.2 miles from Pittsburgh 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

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

Recreation Management Wages Near Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area (BLS area code 38300). 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$71,010Pittsburgh, PA$74,984
Recreation Worker$35,980Pittsburgh, PA$37,994
Lodging Manager$60,920Pittsburgh, PA$64,329

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.

Pittsburgh at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population303,620Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,137Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)94.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Pittsburgh-Area Cities With Recreation Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering recreation management programs near Pittsburgh. The closest is Pennsylvania Western University in California, PA (26.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kent State University at Kent (86.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying recreation management-related roles near Pittsburgh are: Entertainment and Recreation Manager ($71,010), Lodging Manager ($60,920), Recreation Worker ($35,980). 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 Bethel Park instead of Pittsburgh?

Bethel Park, PA is 8.6 miles from Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh an affordable place to study recreation management?

Pittsburgh’s median household income of $64,137 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh

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

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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