2026 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in North Carolina

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their parks, recreation & leisure studies programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools to find the best for parks, recreation & leisure studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in North Carolina

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in North Carolina

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

Top Schools in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies

1

East Carolina University
Greenville, NC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

23 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degrees Awarded

$34,751 Median Starting Salary

Our analysis ranked East Carolina University the best school in the country for a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. East Carolina University is a very large public school located in the city of Greenville. About 63% of students finish within six years. East Carolina University awarded about 23 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from East Carolina University earn around $34,751 in the first couple years of their career. East Carolina University graduates carry a median of $19,587 in student loans. More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from East Carolina University

2

University Of North Carolina At Greensboro
Greensboro, NC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

35 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degrees Awarded

$31,561 Median Starting Salary

University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public university. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro graduates 56% of students within six years. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro awarded about 35 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the parks, recreation & leisure studies program make about $31,561 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete this degree. Get the full parks, recreation & leisure studies details for University Of North Carolina At Greensboro

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.

• 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.