2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
With 3,436 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #11 most popular major in North Carolina.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 25 schools in North Carolina to see which ones offered the best value programs for parks and rec students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of North Carolina at Wilmington the best value school in North Carolina for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the midsize city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNCW are $7,238 a year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UNCW carry an average student debtload of $22,750.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNCW also is in the top 15% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina ranking.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Western Carolina University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. WCU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Cullowhee.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCU are $4,367 per year. Parks & Rec majors at WCU take out an average of $23,666 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 $283.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list. NC State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Raleigh.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NC State are $9,131 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from NC State carry an average student debtload of $22,134. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $206.
NC State also took the #5 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina rankings.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Chapel Hill are $9,028 per year. Parks & Rec majors at UNC Chapel Hill take out an average of $17,500 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $307, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Appalachian State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Appalachian State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,410 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Appalachian State take out is $20,528. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $259.
In addition to its great value ranking, Appalachian State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list.
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greensboro.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Greensboro are $7,468 per year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UNC Greensboro accumulate an average of around $25,552 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $160.
UNC Greensboro also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Winston - Salem State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, WSSU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WSSU are $6,247 a year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at WSSU take out is $26,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $152.
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East Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
ECU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at ECU accumulate an average of around $23,726 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $335.
ECU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list.
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North Carolina Central University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina list. North Carolina Central University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Durham.
North Carolina Central University undergraduate students pay an average of $6,644 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from North Carolina Central University take out $33,890 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $208, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Gardner - Webb University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in North Carolina ranking. Gardner - Webb is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Boiling Springs.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Gardner - Webb are $32,200 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Gardner - Webb take out $26,875 in student loans while working on their degree.
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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 |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | 1,238 |
| Mississippi | 1,128 |
| 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 North Carolina
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 |
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 25 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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