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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in New York

70 Ranked Colleges
2,622 Degrees Awarded
$28,200 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 New York, there were 2,622 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,338 and $21,820 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York” ranking, we looked at 70 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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.

Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in New York

1
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Cortland. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York list. This medium-sized school is located in Cortland, New York, and it awarded 349 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 SUNY Cortland

2
Canisius crest
Canisius College
Buffalo, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Canisius College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York list. Located in Buffalo, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 115 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Canisius College

3
STAC crest
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Sparkill, New York

Out of the 70 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, St. Thomas Aquinas College landed the #3 spot on the list. St. Thomas Aquinas College is a small school located in Sparkill, New York that handed out 29 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Full St. Thomas Aquinas College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

4
Manhattanville crest
Manhattanville College
Purchase, New York

Out of the 70 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Manhattanville College landed the #4 spot on the list. Purchase, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

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

5
SUNY Brockport crest
The College at Brockport
Brockport, New York

Out of the 70 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, The College at Brockport landed the #5 spot on the list. Brockport, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 185 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6
SUNY Sullivan crest
Sullivan County Community College
Loch Sheldrake, New York

Sullivan County Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. This small school is located in Loch Sheldrake, New York, and it awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sullivan County Community College

7

Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Paul Smith’s College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Paul Smiths, New York. It awarded 9 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Paul Smith’s College

8
SUNY Oswego crest
SUNY Oswego
Oswego, New York

SUNY Oswego landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Oswego, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

9
Jefferson Community College crest
Jefferson Community College
Watertown, New York

Jefferson Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Watertown, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

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

10
Monroe College crest
Monroe College
Bronx, New York

Monroe College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Monroe College is a medium-sized school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 91 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

11
Fisher crest
St. John Fisher College
Rochester, New York

St. John Fisher College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Rochester, New York, and it awarded 41 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at St. John Fisher College

12
Adelphi crest
Adelphi University
Garden City, New York

Adelphi University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Adelphi University is located in Garden City, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 93 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

13
Houghton crest
Houghton College
Houghton, New York

Houghton College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York list. Houghton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Houghton College

14

Hudson Valley Community College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking, coming in at #14. HVCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Troy, New York. It awarded 58 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Hudson Valley Community College

15
Niagara crest
Niagara University
Niagara University, New York

Niagara University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York list. Niagara is a private not-for-profit institution located in Niagara University, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

16
Hilbert College crest
Hilbert College
Hamburg, New York

With a ranking of #16, Hilbert College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York list. Hilbert College is located in Hamburg, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

17
Finger Lakes Community College crest
Finger Lakes Community College
Canandaigua, New York

Finger Lakes Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Canandaigua, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Finger Lakes Community College

18

St John’s University - New York came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 132 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

19
SUNY Delhi crest
SUNY Delhi
Delhi, New York

SUNY Delhi did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking, coming in at #19. SUNY Delhi is a small school located in Delhi, New York that handed out 28 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

20

Tompkins Cortland Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Tompkins Cortland is located in Dryden, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Tompkins Cortland Community College

21

Niagara County Community College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Located in Sanborn, New York, this small public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Full Niagara County Community College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

22
SUNY Oneonta crest
SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, New York

With a ranking of #22, SUNY Oneonta did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York list. Oneonta, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 Oneonta

23
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Lehman is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 92 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

24

Kingsborough Community College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York list. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 51 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

25
SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale crest
Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale State College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in New York ranking. Located in Farmingdale, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 57 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Farmingdale State College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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