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2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina

11 Colleges in North Carolina
246 Master's Degrees
$39,702 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies sits in the middle of the road, ranking #16 out of 37 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 246 master's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

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

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your master's degree school matters. 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

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

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 master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in North Carolina

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.

10 Top North Carolina Schools for a Master's in Parks & Rec

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
30 Annual Graduates

North Carolina State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from North Carolina State University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
15 Annual Graduates

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10 Annual Graduates

Wake Forest University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the medium-sized city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Wake Forest University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
22 Annual Graduates

Western Carolina University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Western Carolina University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from East Carolina University

6
Gardner - Webb crest
Gardner - Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

Gardner - Webb is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Boiling Springs.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Gardner - Webb University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the town of Boone.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Appalachian State University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Hickory, Lenoir - Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Lenoir - Rhyne University

10
Wingate crest
Wingate University
Wingate, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Wingate, Wingate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Wingate University

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Mississippi 34 147
Florida 34 439
Virginia 33 419
Georgia 32 293
Tennessee 32 269
Kentucky 31 226
West Virginia 30 220
Alabama 30 180
Louisiana 30 152
South Carolina 30 209
Arkansas 30 291

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Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 194
Recreation Administration 48
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 4

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 1,252

Notes and References

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