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2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South Carolina

12 Colleges in South Carolina
1,442 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$29,975 Avg Early-Career Salary
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #15 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools in South Carolina to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,442 degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2021-2022 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South Carolina The parks & rec program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings by Degree Level

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South Carolina ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in South Carolina

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the parks & rec degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top South Carolina Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
207 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$36,645 Median Starting Salary

Clemson University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Clemson is a very large public university located in the suburb of Clemson. A Best Colleges rank of #107 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Clemson is a great university overall.

There were approximately 207 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Clemson in the most recent data year. Those parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who get their degree from Clemson University make $6,670 more than the standard parks & rec student.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
341 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
19.4% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies has to check out University of South Carolina - Columbia. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, UofSC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #152 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UofSC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 341 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UofSC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies program at University of South Carolina - Columbia earn $9,945 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of South Carolina - Columbia

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$38,796 Median Starting Salary

Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. The Citadel is a small public college located in the medium-sized city of Charleston. A Best Colleges rank of #435 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means The Citadel is a great college overall.

There were about 57 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at The Citadel in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies major at Citadel Military College of South Carolina make $8,821 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Citadel Military College of South Carolina

4
Bob Jones University crest
Bob Jones University
Greenville, SC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$26,059 Median Starting Salary

Bob Jones University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the small city of Greenville, Bob Jones University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1051 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Bob Jones University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 31 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Bob Jones University in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients usually earn about $26,059 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Bob Jones University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
212 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$24,273 Median Starting Salary

Coastal Carolina University is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Conway. This university ranks 19th out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were approximately 212 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Coastal Carolina University in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make around $24,273 in the first couple years of working.

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

6
Winthrop crest
Winthrop University
Rock Hill, SC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$25,370 Median Starting Salary

Winthrop is a small public university located in the city of Rock Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #1191 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Winthrop is a great university overall.

There were roughly 71 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Winthrop in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients typically make an average of $25,370 in their early careers.

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

7
Newberry College crest
Newberry College
Newberry, SC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
13.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the 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 58 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Newberry College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $28,672 in the first couple years of working.

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

8
Coker crest
Coker University
Hartsville, SC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$29,967 Median Starting Salary

Coker is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Hartsville. This university ranks 34th out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were roughly 44 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Coker in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn an average of $29,967 in the first couple years of their career.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$24,873 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

North Greenville is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Tigerville. A Best Colleges rank of #1232 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means North Greenville is a great university overall.

There were approximately 27 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at North Greenville in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients generally make around $24,873 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from North Greenville University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
29.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Charleston, CSU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 20th out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were about 37 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at CSU in the most recent data year. After graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually make around $25,028 at the beginning of their careers.

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

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

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
North Carolina383,418
West Virginia381,226
Florida382,335
Virginia381,717
Arkansas381,012
Mississippi381,121
Tennessee372,459
Louisiana37703
Alabama37959
Kentucky371,091
Georgia371,977

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Health & Physical Education1,258
Recreation Administration161
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies13
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies10

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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