2026 Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region
[Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/parks-recreation-leisure-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong parks, recreation & leisure studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 34 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for parks, recreation & leisure studies students.
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2026 Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in parks, recreation & leisure studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools
For return on investment in parks, recreation & leisure studies, no school beat South Georgia Technical College this year. Set in the town of Americus, South Georgia Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,992 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,202 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates is $10,423. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of South Georgia Technical College earn a median of $40,497 early in their careers. Set against $10,423 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes University Of North Carolina At Greensboro one of the best values for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,661, with out-of-state students paying around $24,012. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the parks, recreation & leisure studies program here. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $31,561 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College earned it the #3 place for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Set in the rural area of Perkinston, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,250, compared with $7,850 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates is $11,653. Early-career parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates make about $34,214. That is a strong return on a $11,653 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Shepherd University earned it the #4 place for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Shepherd University is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Shepherdstown. In-state tuition and fees average $9,056, compared with $19,082 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates is $24,950. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from Shepherd University generally make around $34,287. Set against $24,950 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in parks, recreation & leisure studies will find it at Jacksonville State University, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of Jacksonville, Jacksonville State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,894, with out-of-state students paying around $23,334. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the parks, recreation & leisure studies program here. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from Jacksonville State University generally make around $31,303. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
East Carolina University placed #6 among the best values for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,361, compared with $23,638 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,587 to complete the parks, recreation & leisure studies program here. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $34,751 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Georgia Southern University came in at #7 for value in parks, recreation & leisure studies this year. Set in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,022, with out-of-state students paying around $17,734. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates carry a median of $24,936 in student loans. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of Georgia Southern University earn a median of $31,086 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,936 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
University Of Arkansas landed the #8 spot for parks, recreation & leisure studies value this year. Set in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,104, with out-of-state students paying around $29,966. Typical student debt for parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates is $23,310. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of University Of Arkansas earn a median of $31,567 early in their careers. Set against $23,310 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
University Of South Alabama ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value parks, recreation & leisure studies schools. Set in the city of Mobile, University Of South Alabama is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,116 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,092. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates carry a median of $26,750 in student loans. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of University Of South Alabama earn a median of $33,557 early in their careers. Set against $26,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of South Alabama admits about 71% of applicants.
Radford University came in at #10 for value in parks, recreation & leisure studies this year. Located in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,548, while out-of-state students pay about $25,633. Typical student debt for parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from Radford University generally make around $30,145. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Radford University admits about 90% of applicants.
Grambling State University landed the #11 spot for parks, recreation & leisure studies value this year. Grambling State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Grambling. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,683, compared with $16,706 for out-of-state students. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates carry a median of $41,750 in student loans. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies graduates of Grambling State University earn a median of $19,830 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Grambling State University admits about 45% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 34 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
