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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in New York

23 Ranked Colleges
1,765 Degrees Awarded
$19,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in New York

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York” ranking.

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 New York, there were 2,731 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,730 and $23,864 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,765 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,973 and $22,589 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 New York” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 New York

The colleges and universities below are the best for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in New York

#1

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Cortland. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Located in Cortland, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 315 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

SUNY Cortland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $18,705 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend SUNY Cortland.

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

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

#2

The College at Brockport

Brockport, New York
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The College at Brockport. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York. Located in Brockport, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 264 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Brockport, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The College at Brockport is $15,882 for new york 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

#3

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Farmingdale State College landed the #3 spot on the list. Farmingdale, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $8,638 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Farmingdale State College.

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 Farmingdale State College

#4

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Fredonia landed the #4 spot on the list. 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.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, SUNY Fredonia has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $14,824 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.

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

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

#5

Queens College

Queens, New York
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Queens College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

QC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,067 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#6

Lehman College

Bronx, New York
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Lehman College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Lehman is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 49 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Lehman also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $1,814 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#7

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#18 in overall quality

Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #7. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 55 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Brooklyn College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $2,683 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Brooklyn College.

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

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

#8

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
#4 in overall quality

St. Joseph’s College - New York landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. SJC is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SJC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend SJC is $16,360 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

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

#9

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York
#15 in overall quality

Mercy College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Located in Dobbs Ferry, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Mercy has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $14,281 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Mercy.

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

#10

Canisius College

Buffalo, New York
#7 in overall quality

Canisius College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Canisius is a private not-for-profit institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Canisius did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend Canisius College is $19,222 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#11

St. John Fisher College

Rochester, New York
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, St. John Fisher College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Fisher is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Fisher also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fisher is $27,767 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Fisher Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12

Niagara University

Niagara University, New York
#11 in overall quality

Niagara University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Niagara University, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Niagara did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend Niagara is $20,019 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#13

Medaille College

Buffalo, New York
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Medaille College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Medaille is a small school located in Buffalo, New York that handed out 18 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Medaille also took the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $13,002 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Medaille College.

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

#22 in overall quality

Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Paul Smiths, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Paul Smith’s College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $23,784 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Paul Smith’s College.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Paul Smith’s College

#15

St. Bonaventure University

Saint Bonaventure, New York
#8 in overall quality

St. Bonaventure University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. St. Bonaventure is a small school located in Saint Bonaventure, New York that handed out 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Bonaventure not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for St. Bonaventure is $22,663 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St. Bonaventure

#16

St. Thomas Aquinas College

Sparkill, New York
#21 in overall quality

St. Thomas Aquinas College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. STAC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sparkill, New York. It awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at STAC, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend STAC is $20,274 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#17

Manhattanville College

Purchase, New York
#19 in overall quality

Manhattanville College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Manhattanville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $21,957 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Manhattanville College.

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. 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Manhattanville College

#18

Adelphi University

Garden City, New York
#10 in overall quality

Adelphi University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #18. This medium-sized school is located in Garden City, New York, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Adelphi has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $28,643 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Adelphi.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

LIU Post

Brookville, New York
#23 in overall quality

LIU Post came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Located in Brookville, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, LIU Post has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend LIU Post is $25,767 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full LIU Post Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#16 in overall quality

St John’s University - New York came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. STJ is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 102 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at STJ, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St John’s University - New York is $27,130 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St John’s University - New York

#21

Ithaca College

Ithaca, New York
#12 in overall quality

Ithaca College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Ithaca College is a medium-sized school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 6 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Ithaca has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $33,465 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Ithaca.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

#22

Pace University - New York

New York, New York
#13 in overall quality

Pace University - New York ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Pace University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Pace University is $29,707 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

#23

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#1 in overall quality

Syracuse University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Syracuse also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Syracuse is $34,482 for new york bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 89%.

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