Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management at Texas State University

Texas State's Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management program starts graduates at below-average earnings—$32,620 puts them behind the state median by about $2,000—but delivers something more valuable: strong upward momentum. Four years out, graduates earn $45,833, representing 41% growth that transforms an underwhelming starting salary into solid mid-career compensation. Among Texas's six programs in this field, this ranks in the 40th percentile, trailing University of North Texas but showing notably stronger growth patterns.

The $23,000 median debt load is actually lighter than both state and national averages, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 even with that modest first-year salary. That's a crucial detail for a field where entry-level positions often involve seasonal work or part-time hours while building a career. The real earnings trajectory suggests graduates are successfully transitioning from those early roles into management positions or full-time municipal recreation careers.

For families comfortable with patience, this program works. Your child won't impress anyone with their starting salary, but the combination of reasonable debt and strong earnings progression makes this a viable path into recreation management. If they need immediate post-graduation income to start repaying loans aggressively, though, the slow start could create stress during those first couple of years.