College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South Carolina

11 Colleges in South Carolina
1,442 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,494 Avg Early-Career Salary
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #15 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 11 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South Carolina ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,442 degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in South Carolina The parks & rec program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Parks & Rec
Master's Degrees in Parks & Rec
Doctor's Degrees in Parks & Rec

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 Schools in South Carolina ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in South Carolina

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the parks & rec degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top South Carolina Schools in Parks & Rec

1
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
207 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$35,318 Median Starting Salary

Clemson University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #149 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Clemson is a great university overall.

There were about 207 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Clemson in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn around $35,318 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Clemson University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
341 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
19.4% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to check out University of South Carolina - Columbia. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, UofSC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #99 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UofSC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 341 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UofSC in the most recent year we have data available. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies degree recipients from University of South Carolina - Columbia earn a boost of approximately $5,275 over the average earnings of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies majors.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of South Carolina - Columbia

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$43,536 Median Starting Salary

Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a great option for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. The Citadel is a small public college located in the midsize city of Charleston. A Best Colleges rank of #410 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means The Citadel is a great college overall.

There were roughly 57 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at The Citadel in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies degree program at Citadel Military College of South Carolina get $9,042 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Citadel Military College of South Carolina

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
212 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$27,920 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Coastal Carolina University if you want to pursue a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Coastal Carolina University is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Conway. A Best Colleges rank of #1142 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Coastal Carolina University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 212 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Coastal Carolina University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn an average of $27,920 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Coastal Carolina University

5
Bob Jones University crest
Bob Jones University
Greenville, SC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$32,481 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Greenville, Bob Jones University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 21st out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were about 31 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Bob Jones University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $32,481 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Bob Jones University

6
Winthrop crest
Winthrop University
Rock Hill, SC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$30,650 Median Starting Salary

Winthrop is a small public university located in the city of Rock Hill. This university ranks 13th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were about 71 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Winthrop in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn an average of $30,650 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Winthrop University

7
Newberry College crest
Newberry College
Newberry, SC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
13.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Newberry, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 36th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were about 58 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Newberry College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, parks & rec degree recipients usually earn around $33,159 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Newberry College

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Aiken, UofSC Aiken is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 28th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were approximately 55 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at UofSC Aiken in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically make about $25,467 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of South Carolina - Aiken

9
Lander University crest
Lander University
Greenwood, SC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
26.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Greenwood, Lander University is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 25th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were about 41 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Lander University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn about $27,155 for their early career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Lander University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
50.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Anderson, Anderson University South Carolina is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #936 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Anderson University South Carolina is a great university overall.

There were approximately 48 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students who graduated with this degree at Anderson University South Carolina in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program earn around $27,340 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Anderson University South Carolina

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 3,418
West Virginia 38 1,226
Mississippi 38 1,121
Florida 38 2,335
Virginia 38 1,717
Arkansas 38 1,012
Alabama 37 959
Kentucky 37 1,091
Georgia 37 1,977
Tennessee 37 2,459
Louisiana 37 703

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 1,258
Recreation Administration 161
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 13
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 10

View All Parks & Rec Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options