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

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

11 Colleges
$29,805 Avg Salary
$27,596 Avg Student Debt

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

In 2020-2021, 1,339 degrees and certificates were awarded to parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who went to a South Carolina college or university. This makes it the #12 most popular major in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

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 South Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 11 schools in South Carolina to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South 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 Citadel Military College of South Carolina to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in South Carolina. Located in the midsize city of Charleston, The Citadel is a public college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from The Citadel carry an average student debtload of $19,790. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $426.

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#2

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

The excellent programs at Clemson University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in South Carolina. Clemson is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Clemson accumulate an average of around $21,780 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $391.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of South Carolina - Columbia. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina list. Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, UofSC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from UofSC take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $426.

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#4

Newberry College

Newberry, SC

The excellent programs at Newberry College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in South Carolina. Located in the town of Newberry, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Newberry College take out $29,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $299.

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#5

Winthrop University

Rock Hill, SC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Winthrop University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina list. Winthrop is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Rock Hill.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Winthrop take out is $29,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $321.

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#6

North Greenville University

Tigerville, SC

North Greenville University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the rural area of Tigerville, North Greenville is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from North Greenville take out $25,697 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $333.

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Coastal Carolina University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Coastal Carolina University is a fairly large public school located in the city of Conway.

Parks & Rec majors at Coastal Carolina University take out an average of $27,000 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 $513.

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#8

Bob Jones University

Greenville, SC

With a ranking of #8, Bob Jones University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Bob Jones University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Greenville.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Bob Jones University carry an average student debtload of $22,250.

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#9

Coker University

Hartsville, SC

With a ranking of #9, Coker University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Coker is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Hartsville.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Coker accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.

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#10

Claflin University

Orangeburg, SC

Claflin University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Claflin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Orangeburg.

Parks & Rec majors at Claflin take out an average of $38,971 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 $150.

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

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

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 3,436
West Virginia 1,238
Mississippi 1,128
Florida 2,340
Virginia 1,729
Arkansas 1,012
Alabama 959
Kentucky 1,141
Georgia 1,981
Tennessee 2,462
Louisiana 703

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 11 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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