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2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid

31 Ranked Colleges
2,777 Degrees Awarded
$23,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 31 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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. 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 Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for new england region parks & rec students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the New England Region (With Aid)

1
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Connecticut landed the #1 spot on the list. UCONN is located in Storrs, Connecticut and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UCONN also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UCONN is $22,974 for new england region parks & rec students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 UCONN

2
Castleton crest
Castleton University
Castleton, Vermont

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Castleton University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Castleton, Vermont, this small public school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Castleton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Castleton is $17,740 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

3

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Vermont University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northern Vermont University is a small public school situated in Johnson, Vermont. It awarded 42 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Northern Vermont University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Northern Vermont University is $15,906 for new england region parks & rec students with aid.

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

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.

UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $22,038 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UMass Amherst

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid 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 made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Boston is $17,752 for new england region parks & rec students with aid.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Massachusetts - Boston

6
UVM crest
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

University of Vermont came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Burlington, Vermont, this fairly large public school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

UVM also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $19,509 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend University of Vermont.

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

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

7

University of New Hampshire - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Durham, New Hampshire, and it awarded 160 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNH, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $24,160 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend University of New Hampshire - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

8
Plymouth State crest
Plymouth State University
Plymouth, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #8, Plymouth State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Plymouth State is a public institution located in Plymouth, New Hampshire. The school has a small population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Plymouth State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Plymouth State University is $20,370 for new england region parks & rec students with aid.

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

9
CCSU crest
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, Connecticut

With a ranking of #9, Central Connecticut State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. New Britain, Connecticut is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

CCSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend CCSU is $16,723 for new england region parks & rec students with aid.

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

10
Salem State crest
Salem State University
Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Salem, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students with aid list, Salem State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $19,017 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Salem State.

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

11

Southern Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. SCSU is a medium-sized public school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 100 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students with aid list, SCSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $20,830 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend SCSU.

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

12
Westfield crest
Westfield State University
Westfield, Massachusetts

Westfield State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Westfield State University is a public institution located in Westfield, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Westfield also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Westfield is $19,583 for new england 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%.

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

13
Post University crest
Post University
Waterbury, Connecticut

Post University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Post University is a private for-profit institution located in Waterbury, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Post University is $16,529 for new england region parks & rec students with aid.

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

14
Springfield College crest
Springfield College
Springfield, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #14, Springfield College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 129 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students with aid list, Springfield College has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $28,710 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid 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.

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

15
Norwich crest
Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont

Norwich University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Norwich University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Vermont. It awarded 19 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Norwich also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $23,985 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Norwich University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Norwich University

16
ECSU crest
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, Connecticut

Eastern Connecticut State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Eastern Connecticut State University is a public institution located in Willimantic, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students with aid list, ECSU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $19,290 for new england region parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Eastern Connecticut State University.

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

17
Gordon College crest
Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts

Gordon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Gordon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wenham, Massachusetts. It awarded 13 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students with aid list, Gordon College has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gordon College is $25,748 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate 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. 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Gordon College

18
Lasell crest
Lasell University
Newton, Massachusetts

Lasell University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Newton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 80 ’s parks and rec degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for Lasell is $26,666 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

19
Franklin Pierce crest
Franklin Pierce University
Rindge, New Hampshire

Franklin Pierce University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Rindge, New Hampshire, and it awarded 27 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region parks & rec students with aid list, Franklin Pierce has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Franklin Pierce University is $26,722 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

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

20

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Standish, Maine. It awarded 21 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Saint Joseph’s Maine also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $27,595 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saint Joseph’s Maine

21
Colby - Sawyer crest
Colby - Sawyer College
New London, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #21, Colby - Sawyer College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Colby - Sawyer is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New London, New Hampshire. It awarded 20 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Colby - Sawyer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colby - Sawyer is $26,973 for New England 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%.

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

22
Thomas College crest
Thomas College
Waterville, Maine

Thomas College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Thomas College is a small school located in Waterville, Maine that handed out 13 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Thomas College is $21,844 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Thomas 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 Getting Aid list. Western New England University is located in Springfield, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Western New England also took the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western New England University is $30,594 for new england region parks & rec students with aid.

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

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western New England University

24
Endicott crest
Endicott College
Beverly, Massachusetts

Endicott College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Beverly, Massachusetts, and it awarded 102 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Endicott not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Endicott College is $35,992 for New England Region Parks & Rec students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

25

University of New England did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. University of New England is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Biddeford, Maine. It awarded 57 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UNE also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $35,871 for new england region parks & rec students with aid per year to attend University of New England.

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 UNE Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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