Best Parks and Recreation Management Programs in the South
Updated
Regional list from Best Parks and Recreation Management Programs by Earnings
This page ranks the 20 Parks and Recreation Management programs in the South by the median earnings of Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of Florida leads the list at 1st with median earnings of $64,497 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $64,497 down to $37,436, with a median of $48,537.
19 of the 20 schools are public institutions, and only 1 is private. University of Florida reports the lowest average net price on the page at $6,541.
Florida International University ranks 14th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $64,497 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| University of Florida ranks 1st on this list with median earnings of $64,497 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $6,541. | |||||
| 2 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $54,621 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| Admitting 72% of applicants, University of North Texas reports median earnings of $54,621 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Frostburg State University · Frostburg, MD | $52,488 | $16,715 | $12,129 | 89.2% |
| Frostburg State University posts a median of $52,488 in earnings for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing, with a median federal debt of $21,250 among Parks and Recreation Management completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 4 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $52,233 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranks 4th on this list and shows an average net price of $6,382 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 5 | Old Dominion University · Norfolk, VA | $51,233 | $14,638 | $9,739 | 90.4% |
| Old Dominion University reports median earnings of $51,233 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing and ranks 154th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 6 | Southwestern Oklahoma State University · Weatherford, OK | $50,937 | $14,459 | $10,987 | Not reported |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State University shows a median federal debt of $16,500 among Parks and Recreation Management completers who borrowed, while its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $50,937. | |||||
| 7 | University of North Carolina Wilmington · Wilmington, NC | $50,241 | $20,109 | $10,778 | 64.2% |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington admits 64% of applicants and reports median earnings of $50,241 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of West Georgia · Carrollton, GA | $49,799 | $12,786 | $10,339 | 51.6% |
| An average net price of $10,339 for families earning under $30,000 accompanies University of West Georgia's 8th position on this list. | |||||
| 9 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $48,898 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
| Clemson University reports median earnings of $48,898 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $19,500 among Parks and Recreation Management completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 10 | Florida International University · Miami, FL | $48,814 | $9,288 | $7,003 | 54.7% |
| Florida International University ranks 14th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $48,814 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $48,260 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Median earnings of $48,260 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing coincide with an average net price of $5,938 for families earning under $30,000 at Florida State University. | |||||
| 12 | Texas State University · San Marcos, TX | $47,752 | $16,805 | $12,715 | 89.3% |
| Texas State University admits 89% of applicants and shows a median federal debt of $21,500 among Parks and Recreation Management completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 13 | Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN | $46,796 | $13,359 | $9,289 | 69.1% |
| Middle Tennessee State University reports median earnings of $46,796 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 34 graduates. | |||||
| 14 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $42,600 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
| Western Kentucky University admits 94% of applicants and its Parks and Recreation Management graduates earn a median of $42,600 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | North Carolina Central University · Durham, NC | $42,426 | $15,359 | $13,032 | 87.0% |
| North Carolina Central University ranks 332nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Parks and Recreation Management completers earn a median of $42,426 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Eastern Kentucky University · Richmond, KY | $41,877 | $11,040 | $8,591 | 77.6% |
| Eastern Kentucky University ranks 16th on this list and reports an average net price of $11,040. | |||||
| 17 | Western Carolina University · Cullowhee, NC | $41,786 | $13,315 | $8,816 | 81.8% |
| Western Carolina University posts a median of $41,786 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing, with 32 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 18 | Appalachian State University · Boone, NC | $41,052 | $16,836 | $9,325 | 90.1% |
| With an admission rate of 90%, Appalachian State University reports median earnings of $41,052 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV | $38,649 | $15,634 | $9,450 | 89.0% |
| West Virginia University reports an average net price of $15,634 and its Parks and Recreation Management graduates earn a median of $38,649 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Lindsey Wilson University · Columbia, KY | $37,436 | $15,070 | $14,745 | Not reported |
| Lindsey Wilson University, a private nonprofit university in Columbia, reports median earnings of $37,436 for its Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Parks and Recreation Management graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the South appear. The figures represent the median earnings of federally aided completers of Parks and Recreation Management who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range from $64,497 to $37,436 and the median of $48,537 cover the 20 programs with a published figure. University of Florida leads the list at $64,497, a gap of $9,876 above University of North Texas at $54,621.
Job market context in the South
Graduates of Parks and Recreation Management programs in the South enter occupations such as Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $37,057, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $33,918. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 9.6% higher, with 202,880 projected openings a year, or about 17,765 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures reported here.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in the South
- Parks & Recreation Colleges in the South for Social Mobility