2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
63
Ranked Colleges
8,010
Degrees Awarded
$12,900
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 the Middle Atlantic region, there were 8,010 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,049 and $25,045 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 63 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also cost less that 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. 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Columbia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Columbia University in the City of New York Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brooklyn College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $3,105 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgetown University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 150 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Georgetown also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $9,871 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgetown.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Georgetown University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 239 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $11,567 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Maryland - College Park
Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Queens College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,524 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend QC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Queens College
University of Delaware ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 188 students in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UD is $14,583 for middle atlantic region 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 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UD
Lehman College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,381 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman College.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lehman
Towson University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Towson, Maryland, and it awarded 251 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Towson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Towson University is $12,452 for Middle Atlantic Region 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%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Towson
Farmingdale State College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is located in Farmingdale, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is $6,411 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Full SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 456 students in 2020-2021.
Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $15,182 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Rutgers New Brunswick Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, Canisius College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Canisius is a private not-for-profit institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 115 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Canisius also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $14,064 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Canisius College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Canisius
With a ranking of #12, McDaniel College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Westminster, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, McDaniel has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McDaniel College is $26,512 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full McDaniel Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
SUNY Cortland did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. SUNY Cortland is a medium-sized public school situated in Cortland, New York. It awarded 349 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Cortland also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Cortland is $14,525 for Middle Atlantic Region 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%. The undergrad 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 SUNY Cortland Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California University of Pennsylvania came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal U is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 374 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Cal U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California University of Pennsylvania is $16,063 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal U
The College at Brockport came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The College at Brockport is located in Brockport, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 185 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
SUNY Brockport did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $14,206 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SUNY Brockport.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The College at Brockport
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 104 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
SRU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $15,507 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SRU.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 SRU
Temple University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Temple is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 299 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Temple has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $19,355 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Temple University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 214 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WCUPA also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WCUPA is $16,325 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #19, Delaware State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Del State is a medium-sized school located in Dover, Delaware that handed out 69 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,027 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Del State.
Full Delaware State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Syracuse University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 150 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Syracuse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Syracuse University is $19,737 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Syracuse Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Gallaudet University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Gallaudet University is $16,349 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Gallaudet
Saint Peter’s University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Jersey City, New Jersey is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Saint Peter’s University is $12,000 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Saint Peter’s University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
SUNY Fredonia came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SUNY Fredonia is located in Fredonia, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $12,501 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SUNY Fredonia
With a ranking of #24, Salisbury University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Salisbury is a medium-sized school located in Salisbury, Maryland that handed out 111 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Salisbury is $14,361 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Salisbury
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $13,001 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
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