2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region
29
Ranked Colleges
439
Degrees Awarded
$28,183
Avg Salary
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 166th most popular major in the country with 2,818 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $31,801 and had an average of $21,309 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 504 parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,183 and $26,370 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 439 parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,436 and $23,790 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in parks, recreation & leisure studies.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools
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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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.
Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Top 29 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region
Out of the 29 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Wesleyan University landed the #1 spot on the list. Virginia Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full VWU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferrum College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Ferrum, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Studies at Ferrum College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Shepherd University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Shepherd University is a public institution located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Shepherd University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mars Hill University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Mars Hill is located in Mars Hill, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Mars Hill University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grambling State University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region. GSU is a public institution located in Grambling, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at GSU
With a ranking of #6, Shaw University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Shaw University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.
Full Shaw University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, Newberry College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Newberry, South Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Newberry College
Radford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #8. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 41 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Radford
Jacksonville State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #9. Jacksonville State University is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Alabama. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Jacksonville State University
North Greenville University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. North Greenville is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tigerville, South Carolina. It awarded 2 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 North Greenville University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #11. UNC Greensboro is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Studies at UNC Greensboro
University of Mount Olive came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. UMO is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mount Olive, North Carolina. It awarded 10 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Mount Olive
University of Arkansas ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. UARK is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at UARK
Georgia Southern University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Statesboro, Georgia, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at GaSou
Alcorn State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #15. Alcorn State, Mississippi is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.
Full Alcorn State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #16, University of South Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Mobile, Alabama, this fairly large public school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of South Alabama
Asbury University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Asbury is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wilmore, Kentucky. It awarded 0 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Asbury University
Ouachita Baptist University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Ouachita Baptist University
With a ranking of #19, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. East Carolina University is a large public school situated in Greenville, North Carolina. It awarded 23 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at ECU
Carson - Newman University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Jefferson City, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Carson - Newman
University of Southern Mississippi ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. University of Southern Mississippi is a fairly large school located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that handed out 18 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southern Miss
Georgia College & State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Milledgeville, Georgia, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Georgia College
With a ranking of #23, Cumberland University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
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 Studies at Cumberland University
Benedict College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Benedict College
West Virginia University Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Beckley, West Virginia, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full West Virginia University Institute of Technology Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Brevard College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking. This small school is located in Brevard, North Carolina, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Brevard College Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 0 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full VCU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Catawba College ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region list. Catawba is located in Salisbury, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Catawba College
Bethune - Cookman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Daytona Beach, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
Full Bethune - Cookman University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.