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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region

72 Ranked Colleges
5,736 Degrees Awarded
$17,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking, we looked at 72 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region.

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

#1

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region. Located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 161 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

SRU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $19,926 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#2

Wilmington University

New Castle, Delaware

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wilmington University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. New Castle, Delaware is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

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

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

#3

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania that handed out 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Kutztown University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $22,422 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Kutztown University.

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

#4

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Cortland landed the #4 spot on the list. Cortland, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 315 students in 2019-2020.

SUNY Cortland also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Cortland is $18,705 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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 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%.

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

#5

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in California, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 105 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,154 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Cal U.

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

#6

Salisbury University

Salisbury, Maryland
#14 in overall quality

Salisbury University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Salisbury, Maryland is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 135 students in 2019-2020.

Salisbury did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Salisbury University is $19,617 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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 University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#7

The College at Brockport

Brockport, New York
#17 in overall quality

The College at Brockport landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. The College at Brockport is a medium-sized school located in Brockport, New York that handed out 264 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Brockport, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The College at Brockport is $15,882 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The College at Brockport

#8

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York
#20 in overall quality

Farmingdale State College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is a public institution located in Farmingdale, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $8,638 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Farmingdale State College.

The low 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%.

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

#9

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #9, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro is $16,833 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

#10

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

Lock Haven University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. LHU is a public institution located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,506 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Lock Haven University.

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

#11

Kean University

Union, New Jersey
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Kean University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Kean University is a public institution located in Union, New Jersey. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Kean has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kean University is $18,604 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#12

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Fredonia, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,824 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students 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%.

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

#13

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

York College of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. YCP is a small private not-for-profit school situated in York, Pennsylvania. It awarded 52 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

YCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend YCP is $20,652 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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%.

Full York College of Pennsylvania Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#14

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #14, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This medium-sized school is located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 138 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is $19,855 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

#15

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,054 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Ship.

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

#16

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
#5 in overall quality

Towson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #16. Towson is a large school located in Towson, Maryland that handed out 280 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Towson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Towson University is $18,233 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#17

Queens College

Queens, New York

With a ranking of #17, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $3,067 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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%.

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

#18

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania

Clarion University of Pennsylvania landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Clarion University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Clarion, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania is $20,011 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#19

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
#16 in overall quality

St. Joseph’s College - New York landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. St. Joseph’s College - New York is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SJC, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $16,360 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend SJC.

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%.

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

#20

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. WCUPA is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 168 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

WCUPA also took the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $22,495 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

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

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

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Indiana, Pennsylvania that handed out 93 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,448 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend IUP.

Full Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#22

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #22, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,230 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#23

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Lehman is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 49 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $1,814 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#24

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

Mercy College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #24. Dobbs Ferry, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

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

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

#25

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Montclair State is a large public school situated in Montclair, New Jersey. It awarded 66 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,034 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Montclair State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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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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