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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k

33 Ranked Colleges
2,047 Degrees Awarded
$17,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 New England region, there were 2,622 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,409 and $24,407 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,047 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,041 and $24,492 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 33 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the New England Region

#1

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school awarded 132 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst is $14,474 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Massachusetts Amherst Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#2

University of Maine

Orono, Maine
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maine landed the #2 spot on the list. UMaine is located in Orono, Maine and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMaine, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maine is $14,458 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#25 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern Maine landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Southern Maine is a medium-sized school located in Portland, Maine that handed out 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Southern Maine also took the #25 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Maine is $9,295 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Southern Maine Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#4

University of Vermont

Burlington, Vermont
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Vermont landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Burlington, Vermont, this fairly large public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UVM also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Vermont is $12,715 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#5

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Connecticut. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Connecticut is a public institution located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCONN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCONN is $14,157 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#6

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Westfield State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Westfield, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 67 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Westfield also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield is $14,071 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

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

#7

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain, Connecticut
#15 in overall quality

Central Connecticut State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. CCSU is a public institution located in New Britain, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CCSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend CCSU is $12,918 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#8

Castleton University

Castleton, Vermont
#9 in overall quality

Castleton University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Castleton is located in Castleton, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Castleton has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $14,753 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Castleton.

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

#12 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMass Boston is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 145 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Boston, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $15,055 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UMass Boston

#10

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Fitchburg State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Fitchburg State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fitchburg State University is $13,208 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#3 in overall quality

University of New Hampshire - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. UNH is a public institution located in Durham, New Hampshire. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $18,826 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of New Hampshire - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#12

Norwich University

Northfield, Vermont
#5 in overall quality

Norwich University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Norwich is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Norwich not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Norwich is $18,644 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#13

Eastern Connecticut State University

Willimantic, Connecticut
#22 in overall quality

Eastern Connecticut State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Eastern Connecticut State University is a small school located in Willimantic, Connecticut that handed out 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

ECSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Connecticut State University is $15,294 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#14

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Salem State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Salem State is a medium-sized public school situated in Salem, Massachusetts. It awarded 58 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Salem State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $16,416 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Salem State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

Plymouth State University

Plymouth, New Hampshire
#14 in overall quality

Plymouth State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Plymouth State University is a small public school situated in Plymouth, New Hampshire. It awarded 69 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Plymouth State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Plymouth State is $16,030 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#16

Northern Vermont University

Johnson, Vermont

Northern Vermont University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Johnson, Vermont, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,249 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Vermont University.

Full Northern Vermont University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#17

Southern Connecticut State University

New Haven, Connecticut
#13 in overall quality

Southern Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this medium-sized public school handed out 67 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, SCSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $19,028 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SCSU.

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

#18

Post University

Waterbury, Connecticut

Post University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Waterbury, Connecticut, this fairly large private for-profit school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,336 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Post University.

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

#19

Springfield College

Springfield, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

Springfield College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Springfield College is located in Springfield, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 82 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Springfield College also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Springfield College is $22,254 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

#20

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Endicott College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Endicott College is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Endicott also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Endicott is $25,921 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Endicott College

#21

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Lasell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Lasell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Newton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lasell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $22,786 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lasell.

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

#22

Colby - Sawyer College

New London, New Hampshire

Colby - Sawyer College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Colby - Sawyer College is a small school located in New London, New Hampshire that handed out 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Colby - Sawyer College is $20,526 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Colby - Sawyer College

#23

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Gordon College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gordon College is located in Wenham, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Gordon College has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gordon College is $23,286 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Gordon College

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Standish, Maine, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is $23,029 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Saint Joseph’s College of Maine Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#25

Franklin Pierce University

Rindge, New Hampshire
#17 in overall quality

Franklin Pierce University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Franklin Pierce University is located in Rindge, New Hampshire and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Franklin Pierce has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $25,563 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Franklin Pierce University.

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

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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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