Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies at Grambling State University

Grambling State's Parks, Recreation and Leisure program faces a troubling reality: graduates earn just $19,830 in their first year while carrying $41,750 in debt—a ratio of 2.1 to 1 that would require more than two years of gross income just to break even. While these numbers place the program in the 5th percentile nationally for both earnings and debt (meaning 95% of similar programs perform better), they actually represent the Louisiana median for this field. The challenge here isn't just Grambling—it's the economics of recreation degrees in Louisiana.

The 57% earnings growth to $31,093 by year four offers some relief, but even with this trajectory, graduates remain $15,000 below the national median for their field. With 72% of students receiving Pell grants, these debt levels hit particularly hard for families who can least afford extended repayment periods. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means individual outcomes vary widely, but the overall pattern is consistent: high debt for modest returns.

For families weighing this path, understand you're looking at approximately five years of post-graduation earnings to pay off the median debt—assuming aggressive repayment. Unless your student has specific career connections in Louisiana's recreation sector or scholarships that dramatically reduce borrowing, this investment requires serious reconsideration.