by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 319 master's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.
North Carolina State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from North Carolina State University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
East Carolina University is a great option for individuals interested in a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from East Carolina University
Appalachian State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Boone.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Appalachian State University
Located in the rural area of Boiling Springs, Gardner - Webb is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Gardner - Webb University
Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Western Carolina University
Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Located in the suburb of Wingate, Wingate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Wingate University
Located in the large suburb of Salisbury, Catawba is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Catawba College
North Carolina Central University is a medium-sized public university located in the large city of Durham.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from North Carolina Central University
Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 34 | 147 |
| Florida | 34 | 439 |
| Virginia | 33 | 419 |
| Georgia | 32 | 293 |
| Tennessee | 32 | 269 |
| Kentucky | 31 | 226 |
| West Virginia | 30 | 220 |
| Alabama | 30 | 180 |
| Louisiana | 30 | 152 |
| South Carolina | 30 | 209 |
| Arkansas | 30 | 291 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 250 |
| Recreation Administration | 44 |
| Outdoor Education | 17 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 8 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 1,341 |