2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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 Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi ranking. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Mississippi to see which programs offered the best value experiences for parks and rec students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Best Mississippi Schools for Affordable Quality in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness
Our analysis found Mississippi State University to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Mississippi. Mississippi State is a very large public school located in the town of Mississippi State.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mississippi State are $9,220 per year. 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.
Mississippi State did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list.
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The excellent programs at University of Mississippi helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Mississippi. Ole Miss is a fairly large public school located in the town of University.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Ole Miss are $9,044 a year. 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.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Ole Miss is ranked #1 for overall quality for parks and rec in Mississippi.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern Mississippi. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list. Southern Miss is a fairly large public school located in the city of Hattiesburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Southern Miss are $9,204 a year. 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.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Mississippi University for Women is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the town of Columbus, MUW is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MUW are $7,756 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from MUW carry an average student debtload of $26,000.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, MUW is ranked #4 for overall quality for parks and rec in Mississippi.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend William Carey University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list. Located in the small city of Hattiesburg, William Carey University is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at William Carey University are $14,550 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at William Carey University take out is $21,500.
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Mississippi College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Clinton, MC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at MC are $20,364 a year. 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.
MC also made our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list, coming in at #3.
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With a ranking of #7, Jackson State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Jackson State is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Jackson.
Jackson State undergraduate students pay an average of $8,445 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Belhaven University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list. Located in the city of Jackson, Belhaven is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Belhaven undergraduate students pay an average of $27,825 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.
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Request InformationBest Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
| South Carolina | 1,339 |
| Florida | 2,340 |
| Virginia | 1,729 |
| Arkansas | 1,012 |
| Alabama | 959 |
| Kentucky | 1,141 |
| Georgia | 1,981 |
| Tennessee | 2,462 |
| Louisiana | 703 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Mississippi
Majors Related to 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 8 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.