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Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region

16 Colleges
$28,183 Avg Salary
$28,553 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School for You

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the #169 most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 16 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges.

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

#1

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR

Our 2023 rankings named University of Arkansas the best school in the Southeast Region for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. Located in the small city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public school with a fairly large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from UARK take out $22,630 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#2

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, WV

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Shepherd University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region list. Shepherd University is a small public school located in the town of Shepherdstown.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Shepherd University take out is $23,184. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $224, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Shepherd University

The excellent programs at Georgia College & State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Georgia College & State University Report

#4

Radford University

Radford, VA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Radford University is a great place for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. Radford is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Radford.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Radford carry an average student debtload of $26,239. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $166.

Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Radford University Report

#5

Newberry College

Newberry, SC

The excellent programs at Newberry College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the distant town of Newberry, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Newberry College Report

#6

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA

Georgia Southern University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. Located in the town of Statesboro, GaSou is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from GaSou take out $28,731 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $141, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Georgia Southern University

#7

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, TN

Carson - Newman University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Carson - Newman is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Jefferson City.

Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Carson - Newman University Report

#8

North Greenville University

Tigerville, SC

North Greenville University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the rural area of Tigerville, North Greenville is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at North Greenville University Report

#9

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

East Carolina University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at ECU take out is $20,451.

Read More…

With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. UNC Greensboro is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro.

On average, parks and rec graduates from UNC Greensboro take out $25,599 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $107, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation and leisure studies colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 77
Virginia 74
North Carolina 125
Florida 0
Tennessee 3
Kentucky 3
South Carolina 13
Louisiana 25
Arkansas 80
Alabama 65
Mississippi 45
West Virginia 27

One of 4 majors within the area of study, parks, recreation and leisure studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Parks & Rec

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 67,146
Recreation Administration 3,122
Outdoor Education 265
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 174

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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