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

27 Ranked Colleges
1,992 Degrees Awarded
$21,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Pennsylvania, there were 2,611 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,610 and $27,012 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,992 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking, we looked at 27 colleges that offer 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Pennsylvania

#1

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 161 students in 2019-2020.

SRU also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,926 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#2

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Kutztown University is a medium-sized public school situated in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Kutztown University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $22,422 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Kutztown University.

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

#3

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lock Haven University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Lock Haven University is a small school located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania that handed out 124 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, LHU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lock Haven University is $20,506 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#4

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 168 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WCUPA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend WCUPA is $22,495 for pennsylvania 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#5

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

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 Pennsylvania list. California, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 105 students in 2019-2020.

Cal U also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal U is $18,154 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#6

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. East Stroudsburg University is located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 138 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

East Stroudsburg University also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,855 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend East Stroudsburg University.

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

#7

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This medium-sized school is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Bloomsburg also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,230 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#8

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Edinboro is a small school located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania that handed out 57 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Edinboro did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Edinboro is $16,833 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#9

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Temple University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Temple is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 346 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#10

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Clarion University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Clarion, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Clarion University also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clarion University of Pennsylvania is $20,011 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#17 in overall quality

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania 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.

IUP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is $22,448 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#12

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Bradford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Pitt Bradford has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt Bradford is $18,906 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Pitt Bradford

#13

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Ship is a public institution located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ship not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $22,054 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#14

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

York College of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #14. YCP is a small school located in York, Pennsylvania that handed out 52 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

YCP also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for YCP is $20,652 for pennsylvania 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at York College of Pennsylvania

#15

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

Cheyney, Pennsylvania

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is $7,656 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#16

Keystone College

La Plume, Pennsylvania

Keystone College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in La Plume, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Keystone College is $25,895 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#17

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Lancaster Bible College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Lancaster Bible College also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $22,349 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Lancaster Bible College.

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

#18

Immaculata University

Immaculata, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

Immaculata University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #18. Immaculata University is located in Immaculata, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Immaculata also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $28,110 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Immaculata.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

#19

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Robert Morris University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #19. RMU is a small school located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at RMU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $26,839 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend RMU.

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

#20

Cabrini University

Radnor, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

Cabrini University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Cabrini University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Radnor, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Cabrini University has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cabrini University is $21,684 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#21

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

Gannon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Erie, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Gannon also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $21,431 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Gannon.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Gannon University

#22

Neumann University

Aston, Pennsylvania
#25 in overall quality

Neumann University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Aston, Pennsylvania 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 11 students in 2019-2020.

Neumann also took the #25 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Neumann University is $23,808 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#23

Alvernia University

Reading, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Alvernia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Alvernia also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Alvernia is $27,851 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#24

DeSales University

Center Valley, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

DeSales University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

DeSales also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DeSales is $28,309 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#25

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

Seton Hill University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Seton Hill also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Seton Hill University is $23,620 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 Seton Hill Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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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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