2023 Most Popular Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southeast Region
312
Ranked Colleges
19,760
Degrees Awarded
$29,200
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 312 colleges that offered 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.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.
Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region parks & rec students.
Top 25 Most Popular Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southeast Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 683 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Military University
Out of the 312 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Memphis is a large school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 545 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UofM
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 414 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full UT Knoxville Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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 #4 for the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 401 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Out of the 312 schools in the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Southern University landed the #5 spot on the list. 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.
Full GaSou Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Liberty University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 403 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Liberty University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
James Madison University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 326 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at James Madison University
With a ranking of #8, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. UNC Greensboro is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 314 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full UNC Greensboro Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Mississippi State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Mississippi State University is a large public school situated in Mississippi State, Mississippi. It awarded 310 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Mississippi State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Appalachian State University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Boone, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 308 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Appalachian State University
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #11. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 303 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Georgia Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Arkansas came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Arkansas is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 296 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full UARK Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Arkansas State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Arkansas State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It awarded 276 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
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
With a ranking of #14, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 275 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UofSC
With a ranking of #15, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 274 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida International University
University of Florida came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 306 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Florida
University of Louisville did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #17. Louisville, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 271 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Louisville
West Virginia University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Morgantown, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 261 students in 2020-2021.
Full WVU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
The University of Alabama ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this large public school handed out 257 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full The University of Alabama Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Coastal Carolina University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Conway, South Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 254 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Coastal Carolina University
University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and it awarded 244 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full UNCW Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Mississippi did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #22. Ole Miss is located in University, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 232 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Ole Miss
Clemson University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Clemson, South Carolina, this large public school handed out 227 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Clemson Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #24. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 219 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Florida State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Western Kentucky University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #25. Bowling Green, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 258 students in 2020-2021.
Full WKU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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