by our College Data Analytics Team
[Parks Recreation Leisure Studies](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/parks-recreation-leisure-studies/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a parks recreation leisure studies degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their parks recreation leisure studies graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose parks recreation leisure studies graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in parks recreation leisure studies, no school beat East Carolina University this year. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a public institution. Parks Recreation Leisure Studies graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of about $46,129 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Shaw University earned it the #2 place for parks recreation leisure studies. Shaw University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Raleigh. After graduating, parks recreation leisure studies degree recipients from Shaw University typically earn about $31,390 annually.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying parks recreation leisure studies schools. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a public school located in the city of Greensboro. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $31,561.
Mount Olive College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in parks recreation leisure studies, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Mount Olive, Mount Olive College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the parks recreation leisure studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $27,219.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their parks recreation leisure studies graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.