2027 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their parks, recreation & leisure studies programs.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation & leisure studies students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall parks, recreation & leisure studies education in the Southeast Region.
Top Schools in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies
Leading the list is University Of Arkansas, our #1 school for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Set in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public institution. About 70% of students finish within six years. University Of Arkansas awarded about 96 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from University Of Arkansas earn around $31,567 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $23,310 to complete this degree.
See the full parks, recreation & leisure studies program report for University Of Arkansas
Students looking for a strong parks, recreation & leisure studies program will find one at East Carolina University, which ranked #2. 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 18 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the parks, recreation & leisure studies program make about $34,751 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,587.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from East Carolina University
A rank of #3 makes Georgia Southern University one of the top schools for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public university. Roughly 55% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 24 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Southern University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from Georgia Southern University earn around $31,086 in the first couple years of their career. Georgia Southern University graduates carry a median of $24,936 in student loans.
See the full parks, recreation & leisure studies program report for Georgia Southern University
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a very large public school located in the city of Greensboro. About 56% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 34 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at University Of North Carolina At Greensboro in the most recent data year. Graduates of the parks, recreation & leisure studies program make about $31,561 in their early career. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University Of North Carolina At Greensboro
A rank of #5 makes Radford University one of the top schools for parks, recreation & leisure studies. This moderately-sized public university is located in the town of Radford. About 49% of students finish within six years. Radford University awarded about 23 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the parks, recreation & leisure studies program make about $30,145 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Radford University
Jacksonville State University placed #6 among the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools. Jacksonville State University is a large public school located in the suburb of Jacksonville. About 55% of students finish within six years. About 29 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees were awarded at Jacksonville State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from Jacksonville State University earn around $31,303 in the first couple years of their career. Jacksonville State University graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Jacksonville State University
South Georgia Technical College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools. Set in the town of Americus, South Georgia Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. There were roughly 22 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at South Georgia Technical College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from South Georgia Technical College generally make around $40,497. South Georgia Technical College graduates carry a median of $10,423 in student loans.
See the full parks, recreation & leisure studies program report for South Georgia Technical College
Shepherd University came in at #8 for parks, recreation & leisure studies this year. Set in the rural area of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a mid-sized public institution. Shepherd University graduates 51% of students within six years. Shepherd University awarded about 13 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from Shepherd University generally make around $34,287. Students borrow a median of $24,950 to complete this degree.
Read more about the parks, recreation & leisure studies program at Shepherd University
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College came in at #9 for parks, recreation & leisure studies this year. This large public university is located in the rural area of Perkinston. There were roughly 44 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in the most recent data year. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College earn a median of $34,214 early in their careers. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College graduates carry a median of $11,653 in student loans.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
University Of South Alabama came in at #10 for parks, recreation & leisure studies this year. University Of South Alabama is a large public school located in the city of Mobile. University Of South Alabama graduates 52% of students within six years. About 11 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees were awarded at University Of South Alabama in the most recent year. Students who receive their parks, recreation & leisure studies degree from University Of South Alabama earn around $33,557 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,750.
See the full parks, recreation & leisure studies program report for University Of South Alabama
Grambling State University earned the #11 position for parks, recreation & leisure studies this year. Located in the town of Grambling, Grambling State University is a moderately-sized public university. Grambling State University graduates 36% of students within six years. Grambling State University awarded about 22 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from Grambling State University generally make around $19,830. Grambling State University graduates carry a median of $41,750 in student loans.
Read more about the parks, recreation & leisure studies program at Grambling State University
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 11 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.