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Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina

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2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina

27 Colleges
$29,805 Avg Salary
$27,596 Avg Student Debt

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 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 27 schools in South Carolina to see which ones were the most popular programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies program at each school on the list.

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in South Carolina.

Our analysis found University of South Carolina - Columbia to be the most popular school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in South Carolina. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, UofSC is a public school with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UofSC accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $426.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of South Carolina - Columbia

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Coastal Carolina University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Coastal Carolina University is a large public school located in the small city of Conway.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Coastal Carolina University take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $513.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Coastal Carolina University

#3

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

Out of the 27 schools in South Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Clemson University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Clemson is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Clemson.

Parks & Rec majors at Clemson take out an average of $21,780 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $391.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Clemson University Report

#4

Winthrop University

Rock Hill, SC

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Winthrop University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Winthrop is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Rock Hill.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Winthrop carry an average student debt load of $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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Winthrop University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina list. Located in the city of Charleston, The Citadel is a public school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at The Citadel take out is $19,790. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $426.

Read More…

With a ranking of #6, University of South Carolina - Aiken did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UofSC Aiken is a small public school located in the suburb of Aiken.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UofSC Aiken accumulate an average of around $30,645 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $218, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of South Carolina - Aiken

#7

Newberry College

Newberry, SC

Newberry College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the distant town of Newberry, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Newberry College carry an average student debt load of $29,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $299.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Newberry College Report

#8

Coker University

Hartsville, SC

Coker University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in South Carolina ranking. Coker is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Hartsville.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Coker take out is $31,000.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Coker University

#9

North Greenville University

Tigerville, SC

With a ranking of #9, North Greenville University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the rural area of Tigerville, North Greenville is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at North Greenville take out is $25,697. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $333.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Greenville University

#10

Bob Jones University

Greenville, SC

With a ranking of #10, Bob Jones University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Bob Jones University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Greenville.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Bob Jones University take out $22,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Bob Jones University

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Most Popular 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
Florida 2,340
Virginia 1,729
Arkansas 1,012
Mississippi 1,128
Tennessee 2,462
Louisiana 703
Alabama 959
Kentucky 1,141
Georgia 1,981

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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