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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina

25 Colleges
$27,466 Avg Salary
$26,583 Avg Student Debt

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

With 3,436 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #11 most popular major in North Carolina.

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.

The Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in North Carolina to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best for parks and rec majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Our analysis found North Carolina State University to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in North Carolina. NC State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Raleigh.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from NC State carry an average student debtload of $22,134. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $206.

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the medium-sized city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public college with a large student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UNCW carry an average student debtload of $22,750.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Wilmington Report

Out of the 25 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the # 3 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill.

Parks & Rec majors at UNC Chapel Hill take out an average of $17,500 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $307, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#4

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wake Forest University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.

Parks & Rec majors at Wake Forest University take out an average of $19,500 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Out of the 25 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Appalachian State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Appalachian State take out is $20,528. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $259.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Appalachian State University Report

University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina ranking. UNC Greensboro is a large public school located in the large city of Greensboro.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UNC Greensboro accumulate an average of around $25,552 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $160.

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

Western Carolina University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list. WCU is a large public school located in the distant town of Cullowhee.

Parks & Rec majors at WCU take out an average of $23,666 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $283.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Carolina University Report

#8

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

East Carolina University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at ECU accumulate an average of around $23,726 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $335.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at East Carolina University Report

#9

Pfeiffer University

Misenheimer, NC

Pfeiffer University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Pfeiffer University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Misenheimer.

Parks & Rec majors at Pfeiffer University take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

#10

Lees - McRae College

Banner Elk, NC

Lees - McRae College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list. Lees - McRae College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Banner Elk.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lees - McRae College Report

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
West Virginia 1,238
South Carolina 1,339
Florida 2,340
Virginia 1,729
Arkansas 1,012
Mississippi 1,128
Louisiana 703
Alabama 959
Kentucky 1,141
Georgia 1,981
Tennessee 2,462

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

Majors Similar to Parks & Rec

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 25 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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