ROI Major

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management at University of North Carolina at Pembroke

NC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management degree from University of North Carolina at Pembroke earn a median salary of $46,777 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,829. The degree typically pays for itself in 13 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$36,387

Typical Career

$46,777

Top Performers

$54,178

Estimated break-even: 13 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$312

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,898. Most students can comfortably afford about a $312 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in North Carolina buys what costs $0.98 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 30.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 21.3%
Public Administration 12.7%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$47,829

Nominal: $46,777 in North Carolina (COL 97.8% of national avg) · 2.2% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

13 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $28,680 $39,793 $49,171
5 Years After Graduation $36,387 $46,777 $54,178
10 Years After Graduation $48,487 $58,363 $79,787

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $46,777 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NC, which has a cost-of-living index of 97.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $46,777 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9780) = $47,829 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates in Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,793, increasing to $46,777 after five years and reaching $58,363 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $47,829.24, indicating that graduates can expect a stable financial outlook in relation to national averages, despite a slightly lower cost of living index in North Carolina.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (30.3%), Health Care & Social Assistance (21.3%), and Public Administration (12.7%), reflecting a diverse range of career opportunities. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 13 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Overall, students can anticipate a solid career foundation with potential for growth in various sectors, making this program a viable option for those interested in the field.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management degree at University of North Carolina at Pembroke stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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