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2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in New York

21 Ranked Colleges
2,622 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.

Across New York, there were 2,622 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,338 and $21,820 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in New York

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 71 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $9,873 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

2
Brooklyn College crest
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 #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 83 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Brooklyn College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

3
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Queens College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. Queens College is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, QC has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $1,344 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

4
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lehman College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 92 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Lehman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $881 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

5
Canisius crest
Canisius College
Buffalo, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Canisius College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k. Buffalo, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 115 students in 2020-2021.

Canisius not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list. It costs about $12,990 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Canisius College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

6
SUNY Brockport crest
The College at Brockport
Brockport, New York

The College at Brockport ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Brockport, New York, and it awarded 185 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY Brockport also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $10,679 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Brockport.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

7
SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale crest
Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale State College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is a public institution located in Farmingdale, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $3,335 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

8
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York

With a ranking of #8, SUNY Cortland did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Cortland is a medium-sized public school situated in Cortland, New York. It awarded 349 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Cortland, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Cortland is $11,654 for new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SUNY Cortland

9
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 150 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Syracuse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for Syracuse is $17,250 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

10
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York

With a ranking of #10, SUNY Fredonia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Fredonia is a public institution located in Fredonia, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY Fredonia also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Fredonia is $10,026 for new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

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

11
Manhattanville crest
Manhattanville College
Purchase, New York

Manhattanville College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. Manhattanville is a small school located in Purchase, New York that handed out 57 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Manhattanville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for Manhattanville College is $18,028 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Manhattanville

12
Niagara crest
Niagara University
Niagara University, New York

Niagara University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Niagara University, New York, and it awarded 37 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Niagara also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Niagara is $13,844 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

13
St. Bonaventure crest
St. Bonaventure University
Saint Bonaventure, New York

St. Bonaventure University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. St. Bonaventure University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Bonaventure, New York. It awarded 9 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Bonaventure also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Bonaventure is $13,563 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Full St. Bonaventure Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

14
STAC crest
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Sparkill, New York

St. Thomas Aquinas College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sparkill, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

STAC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for St. Thomas Aquinas College is $15,119 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

15
Medaille crest
Medaille College
Buffalo, New York

Medaille College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Medaille College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Medaille also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $12,763 for new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Medaille.

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

16
Fisher crest
St. John Fisher College
Rochester, New York

St. John Fisher College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. St. John Fisher College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rochester, New York. It awarded 41 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Fisher also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. John Fisher College is $17,990 for new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St. John Fisher College

17
Adelphi crest
Adelphi University
Garden City, New York

Adelphi University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Adelphi University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Garden City, New York. It awarded 93 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Adelphi has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $26,732 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Adelphi University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

18

St John’s University - New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 132 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at STJ, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St John’s University - New York is $24,081 for new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at STJ

19
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, New York

LIU Post did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Brookville, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at LIU Post, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend LIU Post is $27,466 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full LIU Post Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

20

Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science is a private not-for-profit institution located in Paul Smiths, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Paul Smith’s College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science is $18,211 for new york parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

21
Pace University crest
Pace University - New York
New York, New York

Pace University - New York ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 19 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Pace University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pace University - New York is $26,534 for New York Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

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