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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in North Carolina

14 Ranked Colleges
305 Degrees Awarded
$39,702 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2021-2022, 72,741 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In , parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $31,466 and had an average of $24,117 in loans still to pay off.

Across North Carolina, there were 3,548 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,466 and $26,101 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 305 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,453 and $46,159 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina master’s degree parks & rec students.

Top 14 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in North Carolina

1
Wingate crest
Wingate University
Wingate, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wingate University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina. Wingate University is located in Wingate, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 31 masters’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Wingate

2
Barton College crest
Barton College
Wilson, North Carolina

Out of the 14 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Barton College landed the #2 spot on the list. Wilson, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks & rec degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

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%.

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

3
North Carolina Central University crest
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina Central University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina. North Carolina Central University is a medium-sized school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 19 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Carolina Central University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina list. UNC Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 37 masters’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Greensboro Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

5
Lenoir - Rhyne University crest
Lenoir - Rhyne University
Hickory, North Carolina

Out of the 14 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Lenoir - Rhyne University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Hickory, North Carolina, and it awarded 8 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lenoir - Rhyne University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

6
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 57 masters’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%.

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

7
Gardner - Webb crest
Gardner - Webb University
Boiling Springs, North Carolina

Gardner - Webb University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #7. Gardner - Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Gardner - Webb

8
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina ranking. East Carolina University is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 37 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

9
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina list. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks & rec degrees to 24 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

10
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina list. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wake Forest University

11
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 34 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

12

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 25 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

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

13
Catawba crest
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina

Catawba College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina list. Catawba College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salisbury, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

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

13

Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in North Carolina list. JWU Charlotte is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 23 masters’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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