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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in North Carolina

5 Colleges in the United States
111 Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Degrees Awarded
$52,293 Avg Early-Career Salary

Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy programs.

College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy in North Carolina

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy education in North Carolina.

Top Schools in Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy

1

Leading the list is University Of North Carolina At Wilmington, our #1 school for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy. This very large public university is located in the city of Wilmington. The six-year graduation rate is 71%. There were roughly 28 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy students who graduated with this degree at University Of North Carolina At Wilmington in the most recent data year. Students who receive their therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn around $39,366 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete this degree. Get the full therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy details for University Of North Carolina At Wilmington

2

A rank of #2 makes East Carolina University one of the top schools for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. East Carolina University graduates 63% of students within six years. East Carolina University awarded about 36 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree recipients from East Carolina University generally make around $56,764. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000. Read more about the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program at East Carolina University

3

Western Carolina University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. Western Carolina University graduates 60% of students within six years. About 19 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees were awarded at Western Carolina University in the most recent year. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates of Western Carolina University earn a median of $54,814 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $24,000. Get the full therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy details for Western Carolina University

4

Students looking for a strong therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program will find one at Winston Salem State University, which ranked #4. Winston Salem State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Winston-Salem. The six-year graduation rate is 47%. There were roughly 28 therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy students who graduated with this degree at Winston Salem State University in the most recent data year. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates of Winston Salem State University earn a median of $58,227 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete this degree. Read more about the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program at Winston Salem State University

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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