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Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi

2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

8 Colleges
$13,301 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$28,783 Avg Salary

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

#1

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS
$9,220 Average Tuition & Fees

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 remote town of Mississippi State.

Mississippi State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,220 in in-state tuition and fees each 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 not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list.

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#2

University of Mississippi

University, MS
$9,044 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 8 schools in Mississippi that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mississippi landed the # 2 spot on the list. Ole Miss is a very large public school located in the town of University.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ole Miss are $9,044 per 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 join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern Mississippi. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi list. Southern Miss is a large public school located in the small city of Hattiesburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southern Miss are $9,204 per 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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$7,756 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 8 schools in Mississippi that were part of this year’s ranking, Mississippi University for Women landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the town of Columbus, MUW is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at MUW are $7,756 a year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from MUW carry an average student debtload of $26,000.

MUW also took the #4 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi rankings.

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#5

William Carey University

Hattiesburg, MS
$14,550 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William Carey University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 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 school 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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#6

Mississippi College

Clinton, MS
$20,364 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Mississippi College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the suburb of Clinton, MC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MC are $20,364 per 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 took the #3 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Mississippi rankings.

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$8,445 Average Tuition & Fees

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 medium-sized public school located in the city of Jackson.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Jackson State are $8,445 per year.

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#8

Belhaven University

Jackson, MS
$27,825 Average Tuition & Fees

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.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Belhaven are $27,825 per 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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Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value 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
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

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 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.

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