2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina
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
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.
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies related body.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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