2026 Best Value Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness Schools in North Carolina
[Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/health-and-physical-education/health-and-physical-education-fitness-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for outdoor health & physical education/fitness students.
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2026 Best Value Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in outdoor health & physical education/fitness, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness Schools
Leading the list is Gaston College, our #1 best value for outdoor health & physical education/fitness in North Carolina. Set in the suburb of Dallas, Gaston College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,186 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,330. Students borrow a median of $10,915 to complete the outdoor health & physical education/fitness program here. Soon after graduation, outdoor health & physical education/fitness degree recipients from Gaston College generally make around $39,937. That is a strong return on a $10,915 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Wake Technical Community College one of the best values for outdoor health & physical education/fitness. Set in the suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,254 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,862. Typical student debt for outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates is $17,900. Early-career outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates make about $38,673. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Brunswick Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in outdoor health & physical education/fitness, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Bolivia, Brunswick Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,553, with out-of-state students paying around $8,697. Students borrow a median of $5,500 to complete the outdoor health & physical education/fitness program here. Early-career outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates make about $47,493. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Greensboro College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in outdoor health & physical education/fitness, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Greensboro, Greensboro College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,000. Outdoor Health & Physical Education/fitness graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates make about $27,624. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Campbell University one of the best values for outdoor health & physical education/fitness. Set in the town of Buies Creek, Campbell University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $41,600. Students borrow a median of $25,250 to complete the outdoor health & physical education/fitness program here. Early-career outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates make about $32,167. That is a strong return on a $25,250 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Gardner Webb University placed #6 among the best values for outdoor health & physical education/fitness. Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Boiling Springs. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,750. Typical student debt for outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates is $25,033. Early-career outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates make about $63,220. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Methodist University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value outdoor health & physical education/fitness schools. Located in the city of Fayetteville, Methodist University is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,250. Typical student debt for outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates is $30,124. Early-career outdoor health & physical education/fitness graduates make about $28,270. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Methodist University admits about 75% of applicants.
More Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness Rankings
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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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
