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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)

72 Ranked Colleges
5,736 Degrees Awarded
$14,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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

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

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 72 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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 Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)

#1

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York
#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Farmingdale State College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid. SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is located in Farmingdale, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is $8,638 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

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

#2

Queens College

Queens, New York

Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Queens College landed the #2 spot on the list. Queens College is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $3,067 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

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

#3

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehman College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $1,814 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#4

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 #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 55 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $2,683 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#5

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 238 students in 2019-2020.

UMCP also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $19,045 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#6

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
#5 in overall quality

Towson University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Towson, Maryland, and it awarded 280 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Towson, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $18,233 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Towson.

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

#7

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York
#6 in overall quality

SUNY Cortland ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. SUNY Cortland is located in Cortland, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 315 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, SUNY Cortland has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Cortland is $18,705 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#8

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 384 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Rutgers New Brunswick also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $21,654 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

#9

The College at Brockport

Brockport, New York
#17 in overall quality

The College at Brockport came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. The College at Brockport is a public institution located in Brockport, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 264 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, SUNY Brockport has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $15,882 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend The College at Brockport.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 The College at Brockport

#10

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
#16 in overall quality

St. Joseph’s College - New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

SJC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for St. Joseph’s College - New York is $16,360 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#11

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Fredonia, New York, this small public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,824 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#12

Kean University

Union, New Jersey
#13 in overall quality

Kean University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Kean University is located in Union, New Jersey and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Kean did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kean is $18,604 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#13

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware
#3 in overall quality

University of Delaware did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. UD is a large public school situated in Newark, Delaware. It awarded 201 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, UD has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $17,220 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend University of Delaware.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#14

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Montclair, New Jersey, this large public school awarded 66 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Montclair State is $18,034 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Montclair State

#15

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. SRU is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 161 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, SRU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,926 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#16

Medaille College

Buffalo, New York

With a ranking of #16, Medaille College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Medaille is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,002 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Medaille.

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

#17

Wilmington University

New Castle, Delaware

With a ranking of #17, Wilmington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wilmington University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Castle, Delaware. It awarded 12 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wilmington University is $14,683 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#18

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

Cheyney, Pennsylvania

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Cheyney, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is $7,656 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#19

Salisbury University

Salisbury, Maryland
#14 in overall quality

Salisbury University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Salisbury is a medium-sized public school situated in Salisbury, Maryland. It awarded 135 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Salisbury, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $19,617 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Salisbury.

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

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

#20

Coppin State University

Baltimore, Maryland

Coppin State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,686 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Coppin.

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

#21

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is a small public school situated in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. It awarded 57 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro is $16,833 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#22

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

With a ranking of #22, Mercy College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Mercy College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Dobbs Ferry, New York. It awarded 15 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mercy College is $14,281 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

William Paterson University of New Jersey landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. William Paterson University is located in Wayne, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for William Paterson University is $19,547 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#24

Canisius College

Buffalo, New York
#23 in overall quality

Canisius College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Canisius is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Canisius not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Canisius College is $19,222 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#25

Delaware State University

Dover, Delaware

Delaware State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Dover, Delaware, this small public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,995 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Del State.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Del State

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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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