2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Southeast Region
142
Ranked Colleges
19,760
Degrees Awarded
$19,000
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 19,760 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,102 and $25,352 respectively.
This year’s “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 142 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also cost less that 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
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Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 306 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, UF has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Florida
Out of the 142 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #2 spot on the list. American Military University is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 683 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,563 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend American Public University System.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full American Military University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Georgia. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 303 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UGA also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $14,257 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Georgia
Out of the 142 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #4 spot on the list. Florida International University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 274 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,298 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full FIU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 142 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of West Florida landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 147 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $7,089 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UWF
Florida State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 219 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,946 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Florida State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Florida State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Western Kentucky University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this fairly large public school awarded 258 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WKU is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WKU is $12,522 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at WKU
Clemson University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Clemson, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 227 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Clemson, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clemson is $21,262 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Clemson
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #9 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 401 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,469 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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
West Virginia University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. WVU is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 261 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, WVU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,355 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend West Virginia University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Virginia University
Coker University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. Hartsville, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Coker University is $16,975 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Coker University
Arkansas State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. A-State is located in Jonesboro, Arkansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 276 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, A-State also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend A-State is $14,189 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Arkansas State University - Main Campus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 53 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,346 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend USF Tampa.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of South Florida - Main Campus
University of Arkansas came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UARK is a public institution located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 296 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UARK, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $16,507 for southeast region 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Arkansas
With a ranking of #15, Mississippi State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, and it awarded 310 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Mississippi State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mississippi State is $16,122 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mississippi State
Middle Tennessee State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 212 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $12,752 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Middle Tennessee State University
Georgia Southern University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #17. Georgia Southern University is a public institution located in Statesboro, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 397 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
GaSou also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Southern University is $15,571 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
Full Georgia Southern University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Citadel Military College of South Carolina did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #18. The Citadel is a public institution located in Charleston, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The Citadel also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $18,559 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The Citadel
Augusta University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Augusta, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 85 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,239 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Augusta University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Augusta University
University of Louisville did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Louisville is a large public school situated in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 271 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UofL also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend UofL is $16,828 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Louisville
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 193 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,411 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina State University
University of Memphis came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UofM is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 545 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $13,904 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Memphis.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Memphis
With a ranking of #23, University of Mississippi did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 232 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, Ole Miss has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Mississippi is $12,161 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ole Miss
University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #24. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 275 students in 2020-2021.
UofSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Carolina - Columbia is $20,559 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UofSC
With a ranking of #25, James Madison University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 326 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $22,562 for southeast region parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at JMU
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