by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s” ranking.
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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,091 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,213 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 111 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s”.
Out of the 111 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the #1 spot on the list. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 206 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Liberty University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 198 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Military University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arkansas State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s. Located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, this fairly large public school handed out 181 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at A-State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 97 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Florida
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Southern University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. Statesboro, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.
Full Georgia Southern University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Clemson University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Clemson is located in Clemson, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 91 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Clemson University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, Western Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and it awarded 72 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at WKU
Florida State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 62 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 95%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida State
University of Louisville came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking. University of Louisville is a large public school situated in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 55 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 University of Louisville Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #9, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UT Knoxville
With a ranking of #11, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 53 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Georgia ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full UGA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #13, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UofSC
University of Memphis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. University of Memphis is a large public school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 51 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of Memphis Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. VCU is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University
Troy University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. Troy, Alabama is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
Full TROY Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #17, University of North Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s list. Located in Dahlonega, Georgia, this fairly large public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNG
Belmont University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. Belmont University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Belmont
University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 41 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Southern Mississippi did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. Southern Miss is a fairly large school located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that handed out 40 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern Miss
University of Central Florida came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking. University of Central Florida is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 University of Central Florida
University of Miami came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking. Located in Coral Gables, Florida, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 37 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 U Miami Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Old Dominion University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 35 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Old Dominion Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Wingate University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Wingate, North Carolina, and it awarded 34 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wingate University
James Madison University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region for a Master’s ranking. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full JMU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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