2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southeast Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 the Southeast region, there were 19,063 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,950 and $25,504 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 15,371 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking looked at 188 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.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southeast Region
Out of the 188 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #1 spot on the list. American Public University System is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 433 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $10,222 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full American Military University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 188 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the Cumberlands landed the #2 spot on the list. Williamsburg, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of the Cumberlands is $16,894 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full University of the Cumberlands Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Southern University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Located in Statesboro, Georgia, this large public school handed out 341 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, GaSou also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for GaSou is $15,536 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at GaSou
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Florida International University is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 261 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $7,296 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend FIU.
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 Florida International University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 188 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Elizabeth City State University landed the #5 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.
It costs about $2,350 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Elizabeth City State University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at ECSU
With a ranking of #6, Western Carolina University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,722 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full Western Carolina University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and it awarded 229 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UNCW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $19,055 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend UNCW.
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%.
Henderson State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Henderson State University is a public institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Henderson State University is $10,270 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full Henderson State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Arkansas State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #9. A-State is a public institution located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for A-State is $13,406 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
William Carey University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Hattiesburg, Mississippi is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,000 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend William Carey University.
Full William Carey University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Memphis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 393 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,248 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend University of Memphis.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UofM
University of North Carolina at Pembroke came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Pembroke, North Carolina, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,228 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend UNC Pembroke.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNC Pembroke
The University of Tennessee - Martin came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. The University of Tennessee - Martin is a medium-sized school located in Martin, Tennessee that handed out 100 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,955 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend UT Martin.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Martin
University of North Florida ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. UNF is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UNF is $9,606 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Florida Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Southern Mississippi ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Southern Miss is a public institution located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Miss is $14,923 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full Southern Miss Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #16, University of West Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. University of West Georgia is a fairly large public school situated in Carrollton, Georgia. It awarded 101 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of West Georgia is $16,124 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of West Georgia
With a ranking of #17, University of Central Arkansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Located in Conway, Arkansas, this fairly large public school awarded 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,376 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend UCA.
Full University of Central Arkansas Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Florida State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Florida State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,789 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 Florida State
University of South Alabama ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. University of South Alabama is located in Mobile, Alabama and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of South Alabama is $15,501 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at USA
Kennesaw State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #20. Kennesaw State University is a public institution located in Kennesaw, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 201 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, KSU Georgia is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend KSU Georgia is $17,221 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Kennesaw State University
Valdosta State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Valdosta, Georgia, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for VSU is $13,969 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Valdosta State University
West Liberty University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in West Liberty, West Virginia, this small public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,793 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend West Liberty University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Liberty University
University of Florida came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $6,302 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive 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 97%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UF
With a ranking of #24, University of Arkansas at Monticello did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. UAM is located in Monticello, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Arkansas at Monticello is $12,136 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
With a ranking of #25, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Appalachian State University is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 368 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Appalachian State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,920 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Appalachian State.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Appalachian State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Rest of the Best 29 in Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region
Not only did these schools make the top 29 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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.
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