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2024 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region

13 Colleges in the Southeast Region
504 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$28,183 Avg Early-Career Salary
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #166 in popularity out of 395 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual reviewed 13 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of parks, recreation & leisure studies. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 504 degrees in parks, recreation & leisure studies during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of parks, recreation & leisure studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Parks & Rec
Master's Degrees in Parks & Rec

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region

The schools below may not offer all types of parks & rec degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Parks & Rec

1
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in parks, recreation & leisure studies has to look into University of Arkansas. UARK is a very large public university located in the city of Fayetteville. A Best Colleges rank of #198 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UARK is a great university overall.

There were about 79 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UARK in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation & leisure studies program at University of Arkansas get $6,710 more than the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Arkansas

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$26,887 Median Starting Salary

East Carolina University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #414 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 31 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn an average of $26,887 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from East Carolina University

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$29,808 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in parks, recreation & leisure studies needs to take a look at Georgia Southern University. GaSou is a very large public university located in the distant town of Statesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #586 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GaSou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 43 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at GaSou in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn an average of $29,808 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Georgia Southern University

4
Shepherd University crest
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
25.0% Growth in Graduates

Shepherd University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the fringe town of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 11th out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were roughly 36 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Shepherd University in the most recent data year. Those parks, recreation & leisure studies students who get their degree from Shepherd University receive $6,002 more than the average parks & rec grad.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Shepherd University

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$30,562 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Radford, Radford is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 41 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation & leisure studies degree program at Radford University earn $2,379 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Radford University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
22.2% Growth in Graduates
$28,722 Median Starting Salary

Southern Miss is a large public university located in the small city of Hattiesburg. A Best Colleges rank of #873 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Southern Miss is a great university overall.

There were roughly 18 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Southern Miss in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make around $28,722 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Southern Mississippi

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$24,215 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #623 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNC Greensboro is a great university overall.

There were roughly 37 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career wages of $24,215.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

8
Newberry College crest
Newberry College
Newberry, SC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In SC
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Newberry, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 23rd out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were about 7 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Newberry College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Newberry College

8

Georgia College is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Milledgeville. A Best Colleges rank of #713 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgia College is a great university overall.More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Georgia College & State University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
24.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Mobile, USA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #825 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USA is a great university overall.

There were about 41 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at USA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career earnings of $26,609.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of South Alabama

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Georgia28777
Florida2820
North Carolina279125
Virginia27474
Tennessee2693
South Carolina24813
Kentucky2443
Louisiana24225
Mississippi23445
Arkansas23480
Alabama23365
West Virginia20727

View All Rankings >

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is one of 4 different types of Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies programs to choose from.

Parks & Rec Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies504

View All Parks & Rec Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Health & Physical Education17,974
Recreation Administration1,307
Outdoor Education95
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies54

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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