2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
63
Ranked Colleges
8,010
Degrees Awarded
$17,800
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 63 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
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 Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brooklyn College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Brooklyn College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $3,067 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Brooklyn College.
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 Brooklyn College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Queens College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid. Queens College is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $3,469 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Queens College.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Queens College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehman College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 92 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $2,614 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lehman College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 239 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $18,048 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Full UMCP Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 71 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $22,823 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 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.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Delaware landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 188 ’s degrees 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 University of Delaware is $18,967 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Delaware
Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rutgers New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 456 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid list, Rutgers New Brunswick has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers New Brunswick is $23,035 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Towson University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Towson, Maryland, and it awarded 251 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Towson, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Towson is $18,105 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
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%. 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 Towson Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
SUNY Cortland ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. SUNY Cortland is a medium-sized public school situated in Cortland, New York. It awarded 349 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Cortland, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Cortland is $19,273 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SUNY Cortland
Farmingdale State College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Farmingdale, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 57 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Farmingdale State College is $9,002 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Farmingdale State College
The College at Brockport came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. The College at Brockport is a medium-sized school located in Brockport, New York that handed out 185 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid list, SUNY Brockport has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Brockport is $16,532 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
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%.
Full SUNY Brockport Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California University of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in California, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 374 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Cal U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #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 $19,117 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
Full California University of Pennsylvania Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 214 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
WCUPA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $21,484 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
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 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full WCUPA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $19,927 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full SRU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Delaware State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Delaware State University is a public institution located in Dover, Delaware. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Delaware State University is $14,866 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
Full Delaware State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Canisius College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Canisius is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Canisius, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Canisius College is $18,602 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Canisius College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
William Paterson University of New Jersey did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This medium-sized school is located in Wayne, New Jersey, and it awarded 107 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $18,498 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend William Paterson University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Full William Paterson University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Temple University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 299 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid list, Temple has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $23,888 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Temple
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 131 students in 2020-2021.
East Stroudsburg University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,141 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
Full East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
McDaniel College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid 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.
McDaniel also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for McDaniel is $22,385 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at McDaniel College
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $16,363 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Edinboro
Montclair State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Montclair, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 120 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Montclair State University is $17,381 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Montclair State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #23, Lock Haven University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 113 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
LHU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $21,245 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid per year to attend LHU.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at LHU
Howard University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Howard is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Howard also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $41,388 for Middle Atlantic Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Howard.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Howard University
SUNY Fredonia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. SUNY Fredonia is a public institution located in Fredonia, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $14,378 for middle atlantic region parks & rec students with aid.
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 SUNY Fredonia Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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