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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

72 Ranked Colleges
5,736 Degrees Awarded
$10,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 72,122 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 7,835 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,659 and $25,497 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,736 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 72 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

#1

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - College Park landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $8,054 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMCP Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#2

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York
#20 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Farmingdale State College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is a fairly large school located in Farmingdale, New York that handed out 62 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is $3,469 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Farmingdale State College

#3

Queens College

Queens, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Queens College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $1,255 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at QC

#4

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehman College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $234 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lehman

#5

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brooklyn College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,106 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brooklyn College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#6

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
#5 in overall quality

Towson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Towson University is a public institution located in Towson, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 280 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Towson also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Towson University is $9,206 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Towson University

#7

Salisbury University

Salisbury, Maryland
#14 in overall quality

Salisbury University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Salisbury University is a medium-sized public school situated in Salisbury, Maryland. It awarded 135 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Salisbury also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $11,432 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Salisbury University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Salisbury University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#8

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, SUNY Cortland did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cortland, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 315 students in 2019-2020.

SUNY Cortland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Cortland is $12,202 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SUNY Cortland

#9

The College at Brockport

Brockport, New York
#17 in overall quality

The College at Brockport did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Brockport, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 264 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, SUNY Brockport has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The College at Brockport is $9,940 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SUNY Brockport Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#10

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
#16 in overall quality

St. Joseph’s College - New York ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

SJC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for St. Joseph’s College - New York is $12,605 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SJC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. SUNY Fredonia is a public institution located in Fredonia, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,770 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SUNY Fredonia

#12

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware
#3 in overall quality

University of Delaware came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Newark, Delaware, this large public school handed out 201 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UD also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of Delaware is $11,487 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UD Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#1 in overall quality

Syracuse University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Syracuse, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 180 students in 2019-2020.

Syracuse also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Syracuse is $17,164 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Syracuse University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#14

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#8 in overall quality

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and it awarded 384 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rutgers New Brunswick, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers New Brunswick is $13,545 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rutgers New Brunswick

#15

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, SRU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $14,088 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#16

Canisius College

Buffalo, New York
#23 in overall quality

Canisius College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Canisius College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Canisius, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $10,750 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Canisius.

Full Canisius College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#17

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Montclair, New Jersey, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,072 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Montclair State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Montclair State University

#18

Kean University

Union, New Jersey
#13 in overall quality

Kean University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kean is a fairly large school located in Union, New Jersey that handed out 29 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Kean also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kean University is $14,844 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Kean University

#19

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pitt Bradford is a small school located in Bradford, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,937 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Bradford.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

#20

Frostburg State University

Frostburg, Maryland

Frostburg State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Frostburg State University is located in Frostburg, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Frostburg State is $10,135 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Frostburg State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#21

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

With a ranking of #21, Mercy College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mercy is a medium-sized school located in Dobbs Ferry, New York that handed out 15 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,755 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mercy.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mercy

#22

St. Bonaventure University

Saint Bonaventure, New York

St. Bonaventure University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. St. Bonaventure is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Bonaventure, New York. It awarded 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for St. Bonaventure is $12,838 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St. Bonaventure University

#23

Niagara University

Niagara University, New York

Niagara University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Niagara University, New York, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Niagara is $14,139 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Niagara University

#24

Medaille College

Buffalo, New York

Medaille College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Medaille College is $12,014 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Medaille College

#25

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro is $13,169 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Edinboro

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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