2026 Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in North Carolina
[Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/therapeutic-recreation-recreational-therapy/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy students.
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2026 Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools
Western Carolina University earned the #1 spot for value among therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools in North Carolina. Located in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,630, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates is $24,000. Early-career therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates make about $54,814. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Winston Salem State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools. Set in the city of Winston-Salem, Winston Salem State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,126 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $16,782. Typical student debt for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates is $28,000. Soon after graduation, therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree recipients from Winston Salem State University generally make around $58,227. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Winston Salem State University admits about 78% of applicants.
East Carolina University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,361, while out-of-state students pay about $23,638. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates make about $56,764. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy will find it at University Of North Carolina At Wilmington, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,277, while out-of-state students pay about $24,152. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program here. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates of University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn a median of $39,366 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
