2026 Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in New York
[Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/therapeutic-recreation-recreational-therapy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools
Our analysis ranked Cuny Lehman College the best value for a degree in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy in New York. Located in the city of Bronx, Cuny Lehman College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,410, while out-of-state students pay about $15,360. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates carry a median of $7,404 in student loans. Early-career therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates make about $36,811. That is a strong return on a $7,404 median debt. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Utica College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy, landing the #2 spot this year. Utica College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Utica. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,930. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program here. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates of Utica College earn a median of $47,065 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Utica College admits about 92% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Ithaca College one of the best values for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy. Set in the suburb of Ithaca, Ithaca College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $52,616. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates carry a median of $25,959 in student loans. Therapeutic Recreation/recreational Therapy graduates of Ithaca College earn a median of $51,231 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
