2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 1,339 degrees and certificates were awarded to parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who went to a South Carolina college or university. This makes it the #12 most popular major in the state.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.
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 South Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 11 schools in South 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 Citadel Military College of South Carolina the best value school in South Carolina for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the midsize city of Charleston, The Citadel is a public school with a small student population.
The Citadel undergraduate students pay an average of $12,570 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from The Citadel carry an average student debtload of $19,790. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $426.
The Citadel also took the #5 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina rankings.
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The excellent programs at University of South Carolina - Columbia helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in South Carolina. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, UofSC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
UofSC undergraduate students pay an average of $12,688 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from UofSC take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $426.
UofSC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina list.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Clemson University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Clemson is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Clemson.
Clemson undergraduate students pay an average of $15,558 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Clemson accumulate an average of around $21,780 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $391.
Clemson also made our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina list, coming in at #2.
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Out of the 11 schools in South Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Coastal Carolina University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Coastal Carolina University is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Conway.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Coastal Carolina University are $11,640 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Coastal Carolina University take out an average of $27,000 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 $513.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winthrop University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina list. Winthrop is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Rock Hill.
Winthrop undergraduate students pay an average of $15,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Winthrop take out is $29,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $321.
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Bob Jones 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 #6 on the list. Bob Jones University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Greenville.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bob Jones University are $21,062 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Bob Jones University carry an average student debtload of $22,250.
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North Greenville 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 #7 on the list. Located in the rural area of Tigerville, North Greenville is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Greenville are $22,470 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from North Greenville take out $25,697 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $333.
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With a ranking of #8, Newberry College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the town of Newberry, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Newberry College undergraduate students pay an average of $28,250 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Newberry College take out $29,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $299.
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With a ranking of #9, Claflin University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Claflin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Orangeburg.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Claflin are $17,046 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Claflin take out an average of $38,971 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 $150.
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Coker University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Coker is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Hartsville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Coker are $31,524 a year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Coker accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.
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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 |
| Mississippi | 1,128 |
| 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 South 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 11 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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