Educads Rankings

North America

Europe

Asia

Oceania

South America

Africa

See all destinations →
All universities in United States Public universities2,465 Private universities50 Texas13 Massachusetts9 New Jersey9 Ohio9 Pennsylvania9 Puerto Rico9 New York32
Business & Management1,091 Social Sciences & Psychology1,001 Medicine & Health Sciences959 Computer Science & IT942 Education912 Arts, Design & Architecture898 Science860 Life Sciences771 Engineering758 Professional Accounting & Finance746 Media & Communication708 Languages & Linguistics611 Law508 Agriculture & Environment507 Music & Performing Arts492 Economics & Public Policy405 Sports & Recreation374 Built Environment132
Bachelor's universities1,027 Master's universities529 Professional universities290 Diploma universities220 PhD universities199 Foundation universities40 Bachelor's programs24,157 Master's programs4,463 Diploma programs2,667 Professional programs1,140 PhD programs744 Foundation programs258 Bachelor's Business & Management761 Master's Business & Management336 Diploma Business & Management131 Bachelor's Social Sciences & Psychology733 Master's Medicine & Health Sciences260 Diploma Medicine & Health Sciences123 Bachelor's Computer Science & IT668 Master's Education249 Diploma Engineering106 Bachelor's Science626 Master's Social Sciences & Psychology237 Diploma Computer Science & IT92
All scholarships Deadlines closing soon Business & Management1,034 Social Sciences & Psychology959 Arts, Design & Architecture930 Medicine & Health Sciences926 Computer Science & IT920 Education916 Science883 Life Sciences779 Engineering777 Professional Accounting & Finance769
Student visa Student life Cost of living Working & jobs Guides

374 Best Sports & Recreation Universities in United States

Columbia University tops our list of 374 Sports & Recreation universities in the United States at #14 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Next come University of Minnesota - Crookston (QS World #203) and University of Minnesota - Morris (QS World #203). Across the whole list there are 544 courses to choose from.

374 universities · ranked best first

how we rank

Sports & Recreation at other levels

Bachelor's Sports & Recreation Diploma Sports & Recreation Master's Sports & Recreation Professional Sports & Recreation

Related subjects

Exercise Science

By university type

Public Sports & Recreation universities

How these universities are ranked

12 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #14 (Columbia University) to #545 (CUNY Kingsborough Community College); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. Columbia University has the largest research record in this group, with 48,319,824 citations and an h-index of 1,736. 7 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".

Public, private and where they are

The split is 369 public to 5 private institutions. By location, Puerto Rico (3), New York (2) and Colorado (1) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is Columbia University, founded in 1754. Columbia University is the largest, with 33,000 students.

What the courses look like

By level: 346 bachelor's, 58 master's, 28 diploma and 7 professional. Within the subject, the largest areas are Sports & Recreation (520), Exercise Science (11), Sports Management (4) and Recreation Management (4). The usual length is 4 years and 1–2 years. 96% are full-time and 15 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (100% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (98% of courses with a stated intake). University of Tennessee, Martin offers the widest choice, with 7 of these courses.

What it costs

We hold indicative fees for 15 of these universities. University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez is the least expensive at USD 5,274 a year and Columbia University the most at USD 66,000; the middle of the range is about USD 18,259. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best university in the United States for Sports & Recreation?

Columbia University (QS World #14), University of Minnesota - Crookston (QS World #203) and University of Minnesota - Morris (QS World #203) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

Which is the cheapest university for Sports & Recreation in the United States?

Of those with published fees, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez is the least expensive at about USD 5,274 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How many public universities offer Sports & Recreation in the United States?

369 public and 5 private universities are on this list.

How long does a Sports & Recreation course take in the United States?

Most listed courses run 4 years, with 1–2 years the next most common.

When do Sports & Recreation courses start in the United States?

Fall is the main intake — 100% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Can I study Sports & Recreation online with a university in the United States?

15 of these courses are listed as online.

Get your destination country university & scholarship updates

New scholarships, application deadlines and admission guides — a couple of emails a month, no spam.

Stay updated

Get admission alerts, scholarship deadlines & university news — free.