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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region

20 Ranked Colleges
587 Degrees Awarded
$18,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 152nd most popular major in the country with 3,224 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,957 and had an average of $22,487 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 645 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,678 and $27,284 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 587 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation and leisure studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region

#1

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Southern University landed the #1 spot on the list. GaSou is a large public school situated in Statesboro, Georgia. It awarded 55 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

GaSou also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $15,536 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend GaSou.

Full Georgia Southern University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Alabama landed the #2 spot on the list. University of South Alabama is located in Mobile, Alabama and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

USA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Alabama is $15,501 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of South Alabama

#3

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern Mississippi. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, this fairly large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Southern Miss did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Mississippi is $14,923 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Full University of Southern Mississippi Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#4

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Shepherd University landed the #4 spot on the list. Shepherd University is a small public school situated in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. It awarded 40 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Shepherd University also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,021 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Shepherd University.

Full Shepherd University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#5

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arkansas landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Arkansas is a large school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that handed out 101 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, UARK has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arkansas is $16,381 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full UARK Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#6

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Greensboro, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Greensboro is $12,748 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Full UNC Greensboro Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#7

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Radford University is located in Radford, Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Radford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,447 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Radford University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Radford

#8

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #8. East Carolina University is a large public school situated in Greenville, North Carolina. It awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

ECU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ECU is $15,844 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at ECU

#9

North Greenville University

Tigerville, South Carolina

North Greenville University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #9. North Greenville University is a small school located in Tigerville, South Carolina that handed out 5 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

North Greenville also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $22,058 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend North Greenville University.

Full North Greenville Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#10

Grambling State University

Grambling, Louisiana

Grambling State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. GSU is located in Grambling, Louisiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

GSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GSU is $18,516 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Grambling State University

#11

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, Alabama
#16 in overall quality

Jacksonville State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #11. This medium-sized school is located in Jacksonville, Alabama, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Jacksonville State University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Jacksonville State University is $15,559 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Jacksonville State University

#12

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee
#7 in overall quality

Carson - Newman University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Jefferson City, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Carson - Newman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $17,471 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Carson - Newman.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Carson - Newman University

#13

Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia
#5 in overall quality

Georgia College & State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Georgia College & State University is located in Milledgeville, Georgia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Georgia College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $19,691 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Georgia College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Georgia College

#14

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, North Carolina

University of Mount Olive came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Mount Olive is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Olive, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMO also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,437 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend University of Mount Olive.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UMO

#15

Asbury University

Wilmore, Kentucky
#10 in overall quality

Asbury University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Located in Wilmore, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Asbury also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Asbury University is $27,631 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Full Asbury University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#16

Newberry College

Newberry, South Carolina

Newberry College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Newberry College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Newberry, South Carolina. It awarded 5 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Newberry College also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Newberry College is $19,539 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Newberry College

#17

Shaw University

Raleigh, North Carolina

Shaw University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Shaw University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 12 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Shaw University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Shaw University is $19,244 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Full Shaw University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#18

Brevard College

Brevard, North Carolina

With a ranking of #18, Brevard College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Brevard College is a small school located in Brevard, North Carolina that handed out 13 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brevard College, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brevard College is $22,933 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Full Brevard College Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#19

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

With a ranking of #19, Virginia Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

VWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for VWU is $23,425 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Full VWU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#20

Catawba College

Salisbury, North Carolina
#18 in overall quality

Catawba College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Salisbury, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Catawba did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Catawba is $18,185 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Catawba

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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