2027 Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in North Carolina
[Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/therapeutic-recreation-recreational-therapy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy students.
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2027 Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in North Carolina
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools
For return on investment in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy, no school beat Western Carolina University this year. Located in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,630, with out-of-state students paying around $8,630. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program here. Early-career therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates make about $54,814. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Winston Salem State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Winston Salem State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,126, with out-of-state students paying around $16,782. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates carry a median of $28,000 in student loans. Early-career therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates make about $58,227. That is a strong return on a $28,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at East Carolina University earned it the #3 place for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,361 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. Typical student debt for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates is $26,000. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $56,764 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. East Carolina University admits about 89% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes University Of North Carolina At Wilmington one of the best values for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,277, compared with $24,152 for out-of-state students. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington generally make around $39,366. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
