Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in North Carolina

36 Ranked Colleges
3,100 Degrees Awarded
$22,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 72,122 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.

Across North Carolina, there were 3,567 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,371 and $26,986 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,100 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,192 and $24,368 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

2223522677914218771235701585619841147271781621104214731862332698197012077618725212052616721933244213044224881291662937228817

Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in North Carolina

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 346 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $12,352 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#2

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 137 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $16,458 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend NC State.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina State University

#3

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elizabeth City State University landed the #3 spot on the list. ECSU is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elizabeth City State University is $2,350 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Elizabeth City State University

#4

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Appalachian State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Boone, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 368 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $13,920 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Appalachian State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Appalachian State

#5

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k list. UNCW is a fairly large public school situated in Wilmington, North Carolina. It awarded 229 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNCW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNCW is $19,055 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Wilmington Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#6

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina
#17 in overall quality

North Carolina A & T State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 142 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, NC A&T has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $10,274 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend NC A&T.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina A & T State University

#7

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#10 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 215 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, UNC Greensboro has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $12,748 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#8

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, North Carolina
#20 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized school located in Pembroke, North Carolina that handed out 101 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Pembroke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $10,228 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UNC Pembroke.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNC Pembroke

#9

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
#16 in overall quality

Western Carolina University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WCU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Carolina University is $13,722 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Western Carolina University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#10

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina
#9 in overall quality

East Carolina University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. East Carolina University is a public institution located in Greenville, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 156 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ECU is $15,844 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at ECU

#11

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Charlotte also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $16,529 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNC Charlotte Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12

Winston - Salem State University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#23 in overall quality

Winston - Salem State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Winston - Salem State University is a public institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WSSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Winston - Salem State University is $12,286 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Winston - Salem State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#6 in overall quality

Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. JWU Charlotte is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

JWU Charlotte not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte is $23,774 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at JWU Charlotte

#14

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

University of Mount Olive did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Mount Olive, North Carolina, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend UMO is $16,437 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Mount Olive

#15

Lenoir - Rhyne University

Hickory, North Carolina
#14 in overall quality

Lenoir - Rhyne University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Lenoir - Rhyne University is located in Hickory, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Lenoir - Rhyne University also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lenoir - Rhyne University is $18,924 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lenoir - Rhyne University

#16

North Carolina Wesleyan College

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

North Carolina Wesleyan College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k list. This small school is located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,023 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend North Carolina Wesleyan College.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina Wesleyan College

#17

Catawba College

Salisbury, North Carolina
#18 in overall quality

Catawba College did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Salisbury, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Catawba did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $18,185 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Catawba College.

Full Catawba College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#18

Greensboro College

Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro College did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #18. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Greensboro College is $18,764 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Greensboro College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19

North Carolina Central University

Durham, North Carolina

North Carolina Central University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,732 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend North Carolina Central University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina Central University

#20

Wingate University

Wingate, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Wingate University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Wingate, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Wingate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Wingate is $18,759 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wingate University

#21

Barton College

Wilson, North Carolina
#19 in overall quality

Barton College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Wilson, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

Barton College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $24,141 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Barton College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Barton College

#22

Gardner - Webb University

Boiling Springs, North Carolina
#25 in overall quality

Gardner - Webb University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #22. Gardner - Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Gardner - Webb not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gardner - Webb University is $21,296 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Gardner - Webb University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#23

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Queens University of Charlotte did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k list. This small school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Queens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Queens University of Charlotte is $25,078 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Queens

#24

Guilford College

Greensboro, North Carolina
#15 in overall quality

Guilford College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Guilford also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $22,996 for north carolina bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Guilford.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Guilford College

#25

Campbell University

Buies Creek, North Carolina
#13 in overall quality

Campbell University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making Over $110k list. Campbell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Campbell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Campbell University is $24,544 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Campbell

Narrow Results by State

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

Featured Athletic Training Schools

Find Schools Near You