College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k

30 Ranked Colleges
2,777 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 New England region, there were 2,777 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,506 and $25,928 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 30 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the New England Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 144 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UMass Amherst also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Amherst is $16,667 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

2
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Connecticut. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UCONN is a large school located in Storrs, Connecticut that handed out 51 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UCONN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $20,344 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Connecticut.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Connecticut Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Vermont University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Johnson, Vermont, this small public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Northern Vermont University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Vermont University is $15,951 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

4
UVM crest
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Vermont. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UVM is located in Burlington, Vermont and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UVM, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $17,585 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Vermont.

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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

5
Post University crest
Post University
Waterbury, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Post University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Waterbury, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Post University is $12,267 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

6

University of New Hampshire - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Durham, New Hampshire, and it awarded 160 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNH has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNH is $20,896 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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.

Full University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

7
Plymouth State crest
Plymouth State University
Plymouth, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #7, Plymouth State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Plymouth State University is a small public school situated in Plymouth, New Hampshire. It awarded 81 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Plymouth State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $19,427 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Plymouth State.

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

8
Castleton crest
Castleton University
Castleton, Vermont

Castleton University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Castleton is a small school located in Castleton, Vermont that handed out 58 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Castleton also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $17,286 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Castleton University.

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

9

University of Massachusetts - Boston ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Massachusetts - Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 143 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UMass Boston also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Boston is $17,689 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

10
CCSU crest
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, Connecticut

Central Connecticut State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in New Britain, Connecticut, and it awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

CCSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $16,857 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Central Connecticut State University.

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

11
Salem State crest
Salem State University
Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Salem, Massachusetts, and it awarded 35 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Salem State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $18,141 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

12
Norwich crest
Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont

Norwich University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northfield, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Norwich also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Norwich University is $21,686 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

13
Springfield College crest
Springfield College
Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Springfield College is a small school located in Springfield, Massachusetts that handed out 129 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Springfield College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $23,561 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Springfield College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

14
Gordon College crest
Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts

Gordon College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Wenham, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Gordon College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Gordon College is $22,425 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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

15

Southern Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. SCSU is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

SCSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Connecticut State University is $21,008 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern Connecticut State University

16
Westfield crest
Westfield State University
Westfield, Massachusetts

Westfield State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Westfield is located in Westfield, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Westfield not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $18,291 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Westfield State University.

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 Westfield

17
ECSU crest
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, Connecticut

Eastern Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Willimantic, Connecticut, and it awarded 26 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECSU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ECSU is $17,305 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

18
Lasell crest
Lasell University
Newton, Massachusetts

Lasell University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Newton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 80 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Lasell also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Lasell is $25,689 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

19
Colby - Sawyer crest
Colby - Sawyer College
New London, New Hampshire

Colby - Sawyer College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Colby - Sawyer is a small school located in New London, New Hampshire that handed out 20 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Colby - Sawyer also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Colby - Sawyer is $22,584 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

20

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Standish, Maine, and it awarded 21 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Saint Joseph’s Maine also took the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is $24,573 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Joseph’s Maine Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

21
Thomas College crest
Thomas College
Waterville, Maine

Thomas College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Thomas College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waterville, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Thomas College is $20,448 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

22
Endicott crest
Endicott College
Beverly, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #22, Endicott College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Beverly, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 102 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Endicott did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Endicott College is $31,192 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

23
Western New England crest
Western New England University
Springfield, Massachusetts

Western New England University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 39 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western New England, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western New England is $28,484 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Western New England University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

24
Franklin Pierce crest
Franklin Pierce University
Rindge, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #24, Franklin Pierce University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Franklin Pierce is located in Rindge, New Hampshire and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Franklin Pierce also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin Pierce is $27,716 for new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Franklin Pierce University

25

With a ranking of #25, University of New England did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of New England is a medium-sized school located in Biddeford, Maine that handed out 57 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNE has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of New England is $32,345 for New England Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of New England

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options