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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi

8 Colleges
$28,783 Avg Salary
$26,161 Avg Student Debt

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

In 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students earned 1,128 degrees and certificates from a Mississippi school, making the subject the 8th in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi ranking. This report analyzed 8 schools in Mississippi to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Mississippi

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top Mississippi Schools in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

#1

William Carey University

Hattiesburg, MS

Our analysis found William Carey University to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Mississippi. Located in the city of Hattiesburg, William Carey University is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at William Carey University take out is $21,500.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William Carey University

#2

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Mississippi State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list. Mississippi State is a fairly large public school located in the town of Mississippi State.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Mississippi State take out $25,150 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $260, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mississippi State University

#3

Mississippi College

Clinton, MS

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Mississippi College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list. Located in the suburb of Clinton, MC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from MC carry an average student debtload of $26,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $120.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mississippi College Report

#4

University of Mississippi

University, MS

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Mississippi. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list. Ole Miss is a very large public school located in the town of University.

Parks & Rec majors at Ole Miss take out an average of $23,426 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $383, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern Mississippi. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list. Southern Miss is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Hattiesburg.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Southern Miss carry an average student debtload of $28,438. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $163, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Southern Mississippi Report

#6

Belhaven University

Jackson, MS

Belhaven University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Jackson, Belhaven is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Belhaven take out is $27,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $215, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Belhaven University Report

Mississippi University for Women landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the remote town of Columbus, MUW is a public school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from MUW carry an average student debtload of $26,000.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mississippi University for Women Report

With a ranking of #8, Jackson State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Jackson State is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Jackson.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Jackson State University

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 3,436
West Virginia 1,238
Florida 2,340
Virginia 1,729
Arkansas 1,012
South Carolina 1,339
Tennessee 2,462
Louisiana 703
Alabama 959
Kentucky 1,141
Georgia 1,981

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 67,146
Recreation Administration 3,122
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 3,106
Outdoor Education 265
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 174

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 142,610
Public Administration & Social Service 98,583
Legal Professions 61,055
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4,477

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 8 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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