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2024 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region

13 Colleges in the Southeast Region
568 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$28,183 Avg Early-Career Salary
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #166 in popularity out of 395 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual reviewed 13 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of parks, recreation & leisure studies. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 568 degrees in parks, recreation & leisure studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of parks, recreation & leisure studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Parks & Rec
Master's Degrees in Parks & Rec

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region

The schools below may not offer all types of parks & rec degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Parks & Rec

1
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,893 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies has to look into University of Arkansas. UARK is a very large public university located in the small city of Fayetteville. A Best Colleges rank of #198 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UARK is a great university overall.

There were approximately 77 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UARK in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation & leisure studies program at University of Arkansas get $6,710 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Arkansas

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$26,887 Median Starting Salary

East Carolina University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #414 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.

There were about 37 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn an average of $26,887 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from East Carolina University

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$29,808 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in parks, recreation & leisure studies has to look into Georgia Southern University. GaSou is a fairly large public university located in the town of Statesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #586 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GaSou is a great university overall.

There were about 51 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at GaSou in the most recent data year. After graduating, parks & rec degree recipients usually make around $29,808 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Georgia Southern University

4
Shepherd University crest
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$34,185 Median Starting Salary
$23,184 Median Student Debt

Shepherd University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the town of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 11th out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were roughly 27 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Shepherd University in the most recent data year. Those parks, recreation & leisure studies students who get their degree from Shepherd University receive $6,002 more than the standard parks & rec grad.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Shepherd University

5
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$30,562 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 41 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation & leisure studies program at Radford University earn $2,379 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Radford University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$28,722 Median Starting Salary
$32,125 Median Student Debt

Southern Miss is a fairly large public university located in the city of Hattiesburg. A Best Colleges rank of #873 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Southern Miss is a great university overall.

There were approximately 14 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Southern Miss in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn an average of $28,722 for their early career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Southern Mississippi

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$24,215 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #623 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Greensboro is a great university overall.

There were roughly 64 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career income of $24,215.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In GA

Georgia College is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Milledgeville. A Best Colleges rank of #713 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgia College is a great university overall.

There were approximately 7 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Georgia College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Georgia College & State University

8
Newberry College crest
Newberry College
Newberry, SC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In SC
16.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Newberry, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 23rd out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were approximately 6 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Newberry College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Newberry College

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$26,609 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Mobile, USA is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #825 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 31 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at USA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career income of $26,609.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of South Alabama

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 77
Florida 282 0
North Carolina 279 125
Virginia 274 74
Tennessee 269 3
South Carolina 248 13
Kentucky 244 3
Louisiana 242 25
Mississippi 234 45
Arkansas 234 80
Alabama 233 65
West Virginia 207 27

View All Rankings >

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is one of 4 different types of Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies programs to choose from.

Parks & Rec Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 568

View All Parks & Rec Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 17,631
Recreation Administration 1,447
Outdoor Education 78
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 36

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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