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

34 Ranked Colleges
2,047 Degrees Awarded
$21,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for new england 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 New England Region (With Aid)

#1

University of Maine

Orono, Maine
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maine. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Maine is a fairly large public school situated in Orono, Maine. It awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMaine also took the #8 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 Maine is $17,558 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#2

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $22,501 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The 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 University of Massachusetts Amherst

#25 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern Maine. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid. Portland, Maine is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

University of Southern Maine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Maine is $12,339 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#4

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain, Connecticut
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Connecticut State University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in New Britain, Connecticut, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s parks and rec 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 Central Connecticut State University is $16,158 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#5

Castleton University

Castleton, Vermont
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Castleton University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Castleton, Vermont, this small public school awarded 71 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Castleton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Castleton University is $17,637 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMass Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 145 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Boston also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Boston is $18,340 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#7

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

Fitchburg State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Fitchburg State University is a medium-sized school located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts that handed out 2 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Fitchburg State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Fitchburg State.

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

#8

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Westfield State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Westfield, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 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 with aid list, Westfield has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield State University is $19,167 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

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

#9

University of Vermont

Burlington, Vermont
#6 in overall quality

University of Vermont did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Burlington, Vermont is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

UVM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UVM is $18,982 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#10

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Connecticut did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. UCONN is a large school located in Storrs, Connecticut that handed out 59 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UCONN also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UCONN is $22,012 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#11

Southern Connecticut State University

New Haven, Connecticut
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Southern Connecticut State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. SCSU is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

SCSU 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 New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SCSU is $20,763 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Full Southern Connecticut State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Salem State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Salem State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Salem, Massachusetts. It awarded 58 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Salem State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $18,399 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Salem State University.

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

#13

Post University

Waterbury, Connecticut

Post 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 Getting Aid ranking. Post University is located in Waterbury, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,653 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Post University.

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

#14

Plymouth State University

Plymouth, New Hampshire
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Plymouth State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Plymouth State is a small school located in Plymouth, New Hampshire that handed out 69 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Plymouth State has also earned the #14 rank 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 University is $19,316 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#3 in overall quality

University of New Hampshire - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNH is a fairly large school located in Durham, New Hampshire that handed out 110 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNH, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNH is $24,067 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of New Hampshire - Main Campus

#16

Eastern Connecticut State University

Willimantic, Connecticut
#22 in overall quality

Eastern Connecticut State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Connecticut State University is located in Willimantic, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, ECSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Connecticut State University is $18,618 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University

#17

Northern Vermont University

Johnson, Vermont

Northern Vermont University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northern Vermont University is a public institution located in Johnson, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Vermont University is $15,749 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#18

Norwich University

Northfield, Vermont
#5 in overall quality

Norwich University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Norwich University is located in Northfield, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Norwich did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $24,701 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Norwich University.

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

#19

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Lasell University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Newton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Lasell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $27,428 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Lasell.

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

#20

Franklin Pierce University

Rindge, New Hampshire
#17 in overall quality

Franklin Pierce University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Rindge, New Hampshire, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Franklin Pierce also took the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Franklin Pierce University is $27,617 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#21

Springfield College

Springfield, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Springfield College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Springfield College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $30,134 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Springfield College.

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

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

#22

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. 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.

Gordon College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gordon College is $25,777 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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%. 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.

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

#23

Colby - Sawyer College

New London, New Hampshire

Colby - Sawyer 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 Getting Aid ranking. Colby - Sawyer is a private not-for-profit institution located in New London, New Hampshire. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Colby - Sawyer College is $26,983 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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%.

Full Colby - Sawyer College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#24

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

Endicott College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beverly, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Endicott, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Endicott College is $35,642 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine 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 Getting Aid ranking. Saint Joseph’s Maine is located in Standish, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is $26,929 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine

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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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