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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee

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

10 Colleges
$30,291 Avg Salary
$24,746 Avg Student Debt

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

Out of the majors we analyze each year, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies was ranked 8th in Tennessee. In fact, 2,462 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 10 schools in Tennessee to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

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

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

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

Our 2023 rankings named The University of Tennessee - Knoxville the best school in Tennessee for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UT Knoxville carry an average student debtload of $22,659. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $391.

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Out of the 10 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Middle Tennessee State University carry an average student debtload of $27,333. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $130.

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#3

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

Out of the 10 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the # 3 spot on the list. UofM is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at UofM take out is $28,671. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $176, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#4

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, TN

The excellent programs at Carson - Newman University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Tennessee. Located in the small suburb of Jefferson City, Carson - Newman is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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

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The excellent programs at Tennessee Technological University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Tennessee. Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Parks & Rec majors at Tennessee Tech University take out an average of $16,579 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#6

Belmont University

Nashville, TN

Belmont University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large city of Nashville, Belmont 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 Belmont take out is $18,473.

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#7

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN

Austin Peay State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Austin Peay State University accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $156.

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#8

Lee University

Cleveland, TN

Lee 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 #8 on the list. Lee University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Cleveland.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Lee University take out is $25,250.

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#9

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN

Tennessee State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Tennessee State University take out is $31,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $210.

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#10

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN

With a ranking of #10, East Tennessee State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. ETSU is a large public school located in the small city of Johnson City.

On average, parks and rec graduates from ETSU take out $23,073 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $309.

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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
Mississippi 1,128
South Carolina 1,339
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 10 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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