2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #15 most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 152 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for parks and rec students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for parks and rec majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 15% Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found American Public University System to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Southeast Region . Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at American Military University are $7,360 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, American Military University also is in the top 5% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Pembroke. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the town of Pembroke, UNC Pembroke is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
UNC Pembroke undergraduate students pay an average of $7,495 in tuition and fees each year.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Western Carolina University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. WCU is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCU are $8,367 per year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Carolina University Report
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Florida-Online helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF Online is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UF Online are $16,579 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UF Online also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Florida-Online Report
Out of the 152 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, United States Sports Academy landed the # 5 spot on the list. The Academy is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Daphne.
The Academy undergraduate students pay an average of $17,424 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at United States Sports Academy Report
University of the Cumberlands came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Cumberlands is a large private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Williamsburg.
Cumberlands undergraduate students pay an average of $9,875 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of the Cumberlands Report
Mississippi University for Women ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. MUW is a small public school located in the remote town of Columbus.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MUW are $7,756 a year.
Arkansas State University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the small city of Jonesboro, A-State is a public school with a large student population.
A-State undergraduate students pay an average of $12,698 in tuition and fees each year.
University of Memphis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UofM are $14,088 per year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Memphis
University of North Carolina at Wilmington came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UNCW are $21,303 a year.
Henderson State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Henderson State University is a small public school located in the distant town of Arkadelphia.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Henderson State University are $9,768 a year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Henderson State University
William Carey University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. William Carey University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Hattiesburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at William Carey University are $14,550 a year.
Florida International University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the suburb of Miami, FIU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FIU are $18,963 per year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida International University Report
University of North Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. UNF is a fairly large public school located in the city of Jacksonville.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNF are $19,407 per year.
University of Southern Mississippi ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Hattiesburg, Southern Miss is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southern Miss are $11,204 a year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Southern Mississippi Report
Louisiana College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the small suburb of Pineville, Louisiana College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Louisiana College are $17,950 per year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Louisiana College Report
University of Florida ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. UF is a fairly large public school located in the city of Gainesville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UF are $28,659 a year.
UF also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Florida
Arkansas Tech University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the remote town of Russellville, ATU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
ATU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,636 in tuition and fees each year.
East Tennessee State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ETSU are $12,740 per year.
Georgia Southern University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the town of Statesboro, GaSou is a public college with a very large student population.
GaSou undergraduate students pay an average of $17,539 in tuition and fees each year.
With a ranking of #21, Martin Methodist College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Martin Methodist is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Pulaski.
Martin Methodist undergraduate students pay an average of $10,200 in tuition and fees each year.
The University of Tennessee - Martin came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the remote town of Martin, UT Martin is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
UT Martin undergraduate students pay an average of $15,952 in tuition and fees each year.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw, GA |
| 24 | Austin Peay State University | Clarksville, TN |
| 25 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA |
| 25 | University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR |
| 25 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 28 | Shepherd University | Shepherdstown, WV |
| 29 | Morehead State University | Morehead, KY |
| 30 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL |
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 3,436 |
| 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 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in the Southeast Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Related Majors for Parks & Rec
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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 27 schools only.
- 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.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.