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2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

15 Colleges in the Southeast Region
489 Bachelor's Degrees
$28,183 Avg Early-Career Salary
a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #123 out of 363 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 15 colleges and universities when compiling its 2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 489 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation and leisure studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region The parks and rec bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for parks, recreation and leisure studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The parks and rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Parks & Rec

1
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
77 Annual Graduates
$34,893 Median Starting Salary
$22,630 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat University of Arkansas if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. Located in the city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public university with a very large student population.

Those parks, recreation and leisure studies students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Arkansas earn $6,710 more than the average parks and rec graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from University of Arkansas

2
33 Annual Graduates
$26,887 Median Starting Salary
$20,451 Median Student Debt

East Carolina University is a good choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. ECU is a very large public university located in the city of Greenville.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the parks and rec program earn about $26,887 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from East Carolina University

3
51 Annual Graduates
$29,808 Median Starting Salary
$28,731 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat Georgia Southern University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. Located in the distant town of Statesboro, GaSou is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the parks and rec program make an average of $29,808 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from Georgia Southern University

4
64 Annual Graduates
$24,215 Median Starting Salary
$25,599 Median Student Debt

University of North Carolina at Greensboro is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. UNC Greensboro is a large public university located in the large city of Greensboro.

Soon after graduating, parks and rec bachelor's recipients generally make an average of $24,215 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

5
Shepherd University crest
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV
27 Annual Graduates
$34,185 Median Starting Salary
$23,184 Median Student Debt

Shepherd University is a small public university located in the town of Shepherdstown.

Bachelor's recipients from the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at Shepherd University make $6,002 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from Shepherd University

6
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
41 Annual Graduates
$30,562 Median Starting Salary
$26,239 Median Student Debt

Radford is a medium-sized public university located in the small suburb of Radford.

Bachelor's recipients from the parks, recreation and leisure studies degree program at Radford University get $2,379 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from Radford University

7
7 Annual Graduates

Located in the distant town of Milledgeville, Georgia College is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from Georgia College & State University

8
14 Annual Graduates
$28,722 Median Starting Salary
$32,125 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Hattiesburg, Southern Miss is a public university with a large student population.

After graduation, parks and rec bachelor's recipients usually make around $28,722 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from University of Southern Mississippi

9
Newberry College crest
Newberry College
Newberry, SC
6 Annual Graduates

Newberry College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Newberry.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from Newberry College

10
7 Annual Graduates

Located in the rural area of Tigerville, North Greenville is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and leisure studies from North Greenville University

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 225 0
Georgia 224 58
Tennessee 220 3
North Carolina 213 121
Virginia 213 74
South Carolina 195 13
Kentucky 187 3
Alabama 184 65
Louisiana 171 25
Mississippi 169 20
Arkansas 167 80
West Virginia 147 27

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies area of study, Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 14,182
Recreation Administration 1,107
Outdoor Education 54
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 17

Notes and References

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