Best Entertainment programs in Virginia, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate entertainment and recreational activities and operations of a recreational facility, including cruise ships and.
66 schools in Virginia run programs that feed this job, graduating 13,567 people a year. The job pays a median of $74,800 in Virginia across about 310 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
6 programs in Virginia that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Virginia page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 52.0201In Virginia → | 10,184 | 75.1% | 58 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 52.0101In Virginia → | 2,338 | 17.2% | 16 | $44,700 | $24,000 |
| 3 | CIP 31.0504In Virginia → | 803 | 5.9% | 15 | $30,426 | $25,643 |
| 4 | CIP 52.0901In Virginia → | 207 | 1.5% | 10 | $34,218 | $23,364 |
| 5 | CIP 31.0301In Virginia → | 33 | 0.2% | 6 | $33,076 | $25,000 |
| 6 | CIP 03.0207In Virginia → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
Top 25 schools in Virginia
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 42 of the 66 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 4,055 | Business Administration and Management, General | $49,772 | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 2 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,330 | Business/Commerce, General | — | 68% | — | 87% |
| 3 | Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 717 | Business Administration and Management, General | $30,503 | 33% | — | — |
| 4 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 568 | Sport and Fitness Administration/Management | $35,955 | 80% | — | 72% |
| 5 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 519 | Business Administration and Management, General | $75,038 | 89% | — | 34% |
| 6 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 484 | Business/Commerce, General | $51,669 | 63% | — | 93% |
| 7 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 469 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 96% | — | 17% |
| 8 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 442 | Business Administration and Management, General | $60,678 | 86% | — | 55% |
| 9 | Longwood University Farmville, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 417 | Business Administration and Management, General | $49,213 | 61% | — | 90% |
| 10 | Strayer University - Virginia Arlington, VA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 392 | Business/Commerce, General | $55,431 | 36% | — | — |
| 11 | Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 318 | Business Administration and Management, General | $46,680 | 46% | — | 90% |
| 12 | University of Management and Technology Arlington, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 297 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 33% | — | — |
| 13 | University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 272 | Business Administration and Management, General | $68,151 | 85% | $24,049 | 22% |
| 14 | Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 236 | Business Administration and Management, General | $35,919 | 32% | — | — |
| 15 | University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 200 | Business Administration and Management, General | $47,315 | 66% | — | 80% |
| 16 | Radford University Radford, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 183 | Business Administration and Management, General | $45,380 | 49% | — | 90% |
| 17 | J Sargeant Reynolds Community College Richmond, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 165 | Business Administration and Management, General | $32,111 | 32% | — | — |
| 18 | Washington University of Science and Technology Alexandria, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 146 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 67% | — | 7% |
| 19 | Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 142 | Business Administration and Management, General | $48,397 | 57% | $18,677 | 38% |
| 20 | Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 137 | Business Administration and Management, General | $54,432 | 72% | — | 86% |
| 21 | ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 122 | Business Administration and Management, General | $43,435 | 42% | $21,909 | 75% |
| 22 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 109 | Business Administration and Management, General | $45,499 | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
| 23 | Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 107 | Business/Commerce, General | — | 38% | — | 88% |
| 24 | Roanoke College Salem, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 105 | Business Administration and Management, General | $45,557 | 67% | $24,604 | 83% |
| 25 | University of North America Fairfax, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 102 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | — | — | — |
All 66 schools in Virginia
Every school in Virginia with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private not-for-profit | 4,055 | 4 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | Public | 1,330 | 4 |
| Northern Virginia Community College | Annandale | Public | 717 | 3 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg | Public | 568 | 3 |
| William & Mary | Williamsburg | Public | 519 | 1 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | Public | 484 | 3 |
| University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville | Public | 469 | 1 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | Public | 442 | 3 |
| Longwood University | Farmville | Public | 417 | 1 |
| Strayer University - Virginia | Arlington | Private for-profit | 392 | 2 |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk | Public | 318 | 3 |
| University of Management and Technology | Arlington | Private for-profit | 297 | 1 |
| University of Richmond | University of Richmond | Private not-for-profit | 272 | 1 |
| Tidewater Community College | Norfolk | Public | 236 | 3 |
| University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg | Public | 200 | 1 |
What entertainment and recreation managers earn in Virginia
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $79,520. Virginia pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Virginia
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Entertainment and Recreation Managers page.
How to become a Entertainment
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Virginia
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 9 majors mapped to Entertainment and Recreation Managers9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0207Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism
- 31.0301Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General
- 31.0302Golf Course Operation and Grounds Management
- 31.0399Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Other
- 31.0504Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
- 52.0101Business/Commerce, General
- 52.0201Business Administration and Management, General
- 52.0901Hospitality Administration/Management, General
- 52.0906Resort Management
Common questions
Answers for people weighing entertainment and recreation managers programs in Virginia.
What degree do you need to become an Entertainment?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Business Administration and Management, General, which awarded 10,184 degrees in Virginia in 2024-25, 75.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Entertainment?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Business Administration, Business/Commerce, Sports, Hospitality Administration/Management, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 13,567 people a year in Virginia.
How much do entertainment and recreation managers earn in Virginia?+
The median is $74,800 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 5.9% below the U.S. median of $79,520. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for entertainment and recreation managers growing?+
BLS projects a +7.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 5,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Virginia?+
66 institutions in Virginia reported graduates from at least one of the 6 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do entertainment and recreation managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Events Manager, Golf Course Manager, Recreation Director, Recreation Superintendent among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-9072.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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