2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region
143
Ranked Colleges
19,760
Degrees Awarded
$14,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking looked at 143 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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
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 “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region” list to help you make the college decision.
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. 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 the Southeast Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region parks & rec students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Southeast Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region. American Military University is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 683 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region parks & rec students list, American Military University has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,563 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students per year to attend American Military University.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at American Public University System
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arkansas State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region. Jonesboro, Arkansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 276 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, A-State is in the top on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $14,189 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students per year to attend A-State.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full Arkansas State University - Main Campus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 403 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Liberty University also did well on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $29,382 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
Full Liberty University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of the Cumberlands. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of the Cumberlands is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Williamsburg, Kentucky. It awarded 49 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cumberlands is $13,476 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
Full University of the Cumberlands Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 143 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern Mississippi landed the #5 spot on the list. Southern Miss is a fairly large public school situated in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It awarded 206 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,032 for southeast region parks & rec students per year to attend University of Southern Mississippi.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Southern Mississippi
University of Memphis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 545 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UofM is $13,904 for southeast region parks & rec students.
Full University of Memphis Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 274 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
FIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,298 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Florida International University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
East Tennessee State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Johnson City, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 167 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,894 for southeast region parks & rec students per year to attend ETSU.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at East Tennessee State University
Georgia Southern University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #9. Georgia Southern University is a large public school situated in Statesboro, Georgia. It awarded 397 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GaSou is also in the top of our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Southern University is $15,571 for southeast region parks & rec students.
Full GaSou Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Western Carolina University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. WCU is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 99 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,924 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at WCU
With a ranking of #11, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 306 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for southeast region parks & rec students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Florida
With a ranking of #12, University of Central Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Conway, Arkansas, and it awarded 128 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Central Arkansas is $16,554 for southeast region parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Central Arkansas Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of North Carolina at Wilmington came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and it awarded 244 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNCW, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Wilmington is $19,136 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
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
With a ranking of #14, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 147 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UWF is $7,089 for southeast region parks & rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of West Florida
Florida State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 219 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,946 for southeast region parks & rec students per year to attend Florida State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Florida State University
Bob Jones University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Bob Jones University is located in Greenville, South Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Bob Jones University is $13,757 for southeast region parks & rec students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 Bob Jones University
With a ranking of #17, Mississippi State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, this large public school awarded 310 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mississippi State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State is $16,122 for southeast region parks & rec students.
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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mississippi State
James Madison University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 326 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $22,562 for southeast region parks & rec students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full JMU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Citadel Military College of South Carolina came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. The Citadel is a public institution located in Charleston, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The Citadel also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $18,559 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Morehead State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Morehead, Kentucky, and it awarded 73 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Morehead State University is $12,096 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
Full Morehead State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Austin Peay State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Austin Peay State University is a public institution located in Clarksville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 182 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Austin Peay State University is $14,845 for southeast region parks & rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Austin Peay State University
Kennesaw State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. Kennesaw State University is a large school located in Kennesaw, Georgia that handed out 214 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for KSU Georgia is $18,522 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at KSU Georgia
University of Georgia landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 303 students in 2020-2021.
UGA also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,257 for southeast region parks & rec students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UGA
With a ranking of #24, Troy University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region list. TROY is located in Troy, Alabama and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 111 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend TROY is $14,992 for southeast region parks & rec students.
Full TROY Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Florida Atlantic University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 189 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $10,735 for Southeast Region Parks & Rec students.
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 FAU
