2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k
28
Ranked Colleges
3,565
Degrees Awarded
$14,600
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 North Carolina, there were 3,565 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,466 and $26,583 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in North Carolina
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 401 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 69 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wake Forest University, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $5,612 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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%.
Full Wake Forest University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 193 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $9,448 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Carolina State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina State University
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Appalachian State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Appalachian State University is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 308 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Appalachian State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $9,940 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Appalachian State University
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #5 spot on the 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.
UNC Greensboro did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Greensboro is $9,190 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full UNC Greensboro Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
East Carolina University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k list. East Carolina University is a public institution located in Greenville, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 194 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $13,029 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend East Carolina University.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at East Carolina University
University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 244 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UNCW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $14,643 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNCW.
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 UNCW
Western Carolina University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 99 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
WCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Carolina University is $11,625 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full WCU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
North Carolina A & T State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k list. North Carolina A & T State University is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 152 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, NC A&T has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina A & T State University is $9,170 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina A & T State University
Winston - Salem State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winston - Salem State University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 105 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
WSSU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winston - Salem State University is $11,479 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at WSSU
University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 124 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Charlotte not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $13,226 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Pembroke landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized school located in Pembroke, North Carolina that handed out 117 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,817 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNC Pembroke.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNC Pembroke
Catawba College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k list. Catawba College is a small school located in Salisbury, North Carolina that handed out 29 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Catawba did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $17,408 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Catawba College.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Catawba College
Wingate University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wingate University is located in Wingate, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wingate has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wingate is $18,822 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full Wingate University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Lenoir - Rhyne University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Hickory, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 52 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Lenoir - Rhyne University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $15,112 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lenoir - Rhyne University.
Full Lenoir - Rhyne University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
North Carolina Central University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.
North Carolina Central University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $13,718 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Carolina Central University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina Central University
University of Mount Olive ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Mount Olive, North Carolina, and it awarded 30 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UMO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Mount Olive is $13,370 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full UMO Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Gardner - Webb University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Gardner - Webb is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. It awarded 19 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Gardner - Webb not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Gardner - Webb is $19,220 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Gardner - Webb University
Chowan University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Murfreesboro, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Chowan University is $15,301 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Chowan University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Guilford College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 38 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Guilford, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $20,202 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Guilford.
Full Guilford College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Belmont Abbey College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. BAC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Belmont, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
BAC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $18,625 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend BAC.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at BAC
Campbell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Buies Creek, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Campbell has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Campbell University is $23,055 for North Carolina Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Campbell University
Lees - McRae College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Banner Elk, North Carolina, and it awarded 21 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lees - McRae College, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lees - McRae College is $18,440 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lees - McRae College
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 25 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at JWU Charlotte, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte is $24,304 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at JWU Charlotte
Shaw University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in North Carolina For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 20 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Shaw University is $24,312 for north carolina parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Shaw University
