by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
Across the New England region, there were 2,777 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,506 and $25,928 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 543 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,899 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. That schools that top this list have a program in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for new england region master’s degree parks & rec students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lasell University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region. Lasell University is a small school located in Newton, Massachusetts that handed out 33 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lasell
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Springfield College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. This small school is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 33 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Springfield College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Castleton University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region. Castleton University is located in Castleton, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Castleton
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Endicott College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. Endicott is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beverly, Massachusetts. It awarded 26 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Endicott
Out of the 27 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Plymouth State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Plymouth, New Hampshire is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
Full Plymouth State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #6, Johnson & Wales University - Online did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. This small school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 10 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full JWU Online Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Franklin Pierce University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking. Located in Rindge, New Hampshire, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full Franklin Pierce University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Southern Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #8. SCSU is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Full Southern Connecticut State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #9, Western New England University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. Western New England University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Springfield, Massachusetts. It awarded 16 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Western New England University
New England College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking. NEC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Henniker, New Hampshire. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at New England College
Smith College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking. Smith is a small school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that handed out 10 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Smith Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #12, Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of New Haven did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #13. University of New Haven is a private not-for-profit institution located in West Haven, Connecticut. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of New Haven
Boston College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 41 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Boston College
With a ranking of #15, American International College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. AIC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full AIC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Southern New Hampshire University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking. SNHU is a large school located in Manchester, New Hampshire that handed out 129 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SNHU
Bridgewater State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #17. Bridgewater State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Bridgewater State
University of New Hampshire - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #18. UNH is located in Durham, New Hampshire and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNH
Johnson & Wales University - Providence ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Husson University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking. Bangor, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Husson
University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
University of Connecticut did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #22. University of Connecticut is a public institution located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UCONN
University of Rhode Island ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. Located in Kingston, Rhode Island, this fairly large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at URI
University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #24. UMass Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 15 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Massachusetts Amherst
With a ranking of #25, University of Vermont did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the New England Region list. UVM is a fairly large public school situated in Burlington, Vermont. It awarded 3 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Vermont
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
