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

34 Ranked Colleges
2,047 Degrees Awarded
$22,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the New England Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 New England 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 New England region, there were 2,622 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,409 and $24,407 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,047 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,041 and $24,492 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region” ranking, we looked at 34 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 the New England Region

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

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

#1

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Westfield State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region. This medium-sized school is located in Westfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Westfield has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $19,167 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Westfield State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#2

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, New Hampshire
#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern New Hampshire University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. This large school is located in Manchester, New Hampshire, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SNHU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SNHU is $41,095 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern New Hampshire University

#3

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Fitchburg State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Fitchburg State University is a public institution located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Fitchburg State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fitchburg State is $16,001 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#4

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Salem State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region. Located in Salem, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Salem State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $18,399 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#5

Plymouth State University

Plymouth, New Hampshire
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Plymouth State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region. Plymouth State University is a small school located in Plymouth, New Hampshire that handed out 69 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Plymouth State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $19,316 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Plymouth State University.

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

#6

Post University

Waterbury, Connecticut

Post University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Waterbury, Connecticut, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Post University is $15,653 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#7

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain, Connecticut
#15 in overall quality

Central Connecticut State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Central Connecticut State University is a fairly large school located in New Britain, Connecticut that handed out 38 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, CCSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CCSU is $16,158 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#25 in overall quality

University of Southern Maine landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. University of Southern Maine is a medium-sized public school situated in Portland, Maine. It awarded 16 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Southern Maine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Maine is $12,339 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Southern Maine

#9

Southern Connecticut State University

New Haven, Connecticut
#13 in overall quality

Southern Connecticut State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. This medium-sized school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SCSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Southern Connecticut State University is $20,763 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#10

Castleton University

Castleton, Vermont
#9 in overall quality

Castleton University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Castleton, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Castleton has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $17,637 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Castleton.

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

#11

University of Maine

Orono, Maine
#8 in overall quality

University of Maine came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. University of Maine is a fairly large school located in Orono, Maine that handed out 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

UMaine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $17,558 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend University of Maine.

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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Maine

#12

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #12. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 132 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Amherst is $22,501 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#13

Eastern Connecticut State University

Willimantic, Connecticut
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Eastern Connecticut State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. ECSU is a small public school situated in Willimantic, Connecticut. It awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $18,618 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend ECSU.

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

#3 in overall quality

University of New Hampshire - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. UNH is located in Durham, New Hampshire and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 110 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UNH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $24,067 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend UNH.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#15

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Endicott College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. Endicott College is a small school located in Beverly, Massachusetts that handed out 87 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Endicott also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Endicott is $35,642 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#16

Northern Vermont University

Johnson, Vermont

Northern Vermont University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Johnson, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,749 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Northern Vermont University.

Full Northern Vermont University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#17

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#4 in overall quality

University of Connecticut came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Storrs, Connecticut is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

UCONN also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $22,012 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend UCONN.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#18

Springfield College

Springfield, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

Springfield College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 82 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Springfield College has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $30,134 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Springfield College.

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

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

#19

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Boston landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 145 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Boston, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $18,340 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston.

Full UMass Boston Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#20

New England College

Henniker, New Hampshire

New England College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. NEC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Henniker, New Hampshire. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NEC is $29,082 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

#21

Nichols College

Dudley, Massachusetts
#21 in overall quality

Nichols College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. This small school is located in Dudley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Nichols also took the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $27,721 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Nichols.

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

#22

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #22. Gordon College is located in Wenham, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gordon College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gordon College is $25,777 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#23

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Lasell University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Lasell is located in Newton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Lasell also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lasell is $27,428 for new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

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

#24

University of New England

Biddeford, Maine
#16 in overall quality

University of New England did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #24. University of New England is located in Biddeford, Maine and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, UNE has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $34,118 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend University of New England.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#25

Mitchell College

New London, Connecticut

Mitchell College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. This small school is located in New London, Connecticut, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Mitchell College is $28,079 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.

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

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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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