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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k

185 Ranked Colleges
15,371 Degrees Awarded
$15,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 19,063 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,950 and $25,504 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 15,371 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 185 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Berea College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Berea College is a small school located in Berea, Kentucky that handed out 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Berea also claimed a top spot on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Berea College is $8,723 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Berea College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#2

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. American Public University System is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 433 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at American Military University, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Public University System

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 185 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $12,685 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UF Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

Out of the 185 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 261 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $13,821 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at FIU

#5

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Georgia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 270 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $17,105 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Georgia.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UGA

#6

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. The University of West Florida is a fairly large school located in Pensacola, Florida that handed out 135 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $12,116 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UWF Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 346 students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $18,354 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#8

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#21 in overall quality

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Florida State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $15,074 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Florida State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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

#9

Mississippi Valley State University

Itta Bena, Mississippi

Mississippi Valley State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Mississippi Valley State University is a small public school situated in Itta Bena, Mississippi. It awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mississippi Valley State University is $18,741 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mississippi Valley State University

#10

William Carey University

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

With a ranking of #10, William Carey University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 40 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for William Carey University is $9,267 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William Carey University

#11

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,708 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Elizabeth City State University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at ECSU

#12

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida
Top 20% in overall quality

University of North Florida ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UNF is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 82 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNF also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $14,778 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNF

#13

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#9 in overall quality

North Carolina State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 137 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $19,541 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at NC State

#14

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, William & Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 129 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $20,416 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William & Mary

#15

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherd University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Shepherd University is a small public school situated in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. It awarded 40 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Shepherd University is $14,106 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Shepherd University

#16

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia

With a ranking of #16, Augusta University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Augusta University is a public institution located in Augusta, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $13,836 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Augusta University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#17

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#3 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, South Carolina that handed out 241 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UofSC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UofSC is $22,382 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of South Carolina - Columbia

#18

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
Top 25% in overall quality

West Virginia University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. WVU is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 182 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,189 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend WVU.

Full WVU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. FGCU is a fairly large public school situated in Fort Myers, Florida. It awarded 50 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FGCU is $15,776 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University

#19

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $21,646 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#21

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
Top 15% in overall quality

Georgia Southern University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Georgia Southern University is a public institution located in Statesboro, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 341 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GaSou is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend GaSou is $18,255 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Georgia Southern University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

University of Louisiana at Monroe landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Monroe, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Louisiana at Monroe is $13,729 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at ULM

#23

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Marshall University is a fairly large school located in Huntington, West Virginia that handed out 70 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $12,613 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Marshall University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Southeastern Louisiana University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Hammond, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,957 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southeastern Louisiana University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southeastern

#25

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Top 20% in overall quality

Middle Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Middle Tennessee State University is a large public school situated in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It awarded 185 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Middle Tennessee State University is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $17,177 for southeast region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Middle Tennessee State University

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana
#27

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas
#28

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana

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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

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees 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.

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