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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey

9 Colleges
$31,053 Avg Salary
$26,605 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #19 most popular major in New Jersey with 1,047 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey ranking. This report analyzed 9 schools in New Jersey to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in New Jersey

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top New Jersey Schools in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

#1

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ

Our 2023 rankings named Seton Hall University the best school in New Jersey for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Seton Hall is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of South Orange.

Parks & Rec majors at Seton Hall take out an average of $24,125 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

#2

Kean University

Union, NJ

Out of the 9 schools in New Jersey that were part of this year’s ranking, Kean University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Union, Kean is a public college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Kean accumulate an average of around $28,125 in student debt.

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

Out of the 9 schools in New Jersey that were part of this year’s ranking, Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the # 3 spot on the list. Rutgers New Brunswick is a fairly large public school located in the city of New Brunswick.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Rutgers New Brunswick take out $25,913 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $313.

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend William Paterson University of New Jersey. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey list. William Paterson University is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Wayne.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at William Paterson University accumulate an average of around $29,987 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $268, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#5

Montclair State University

Montclair, NJ

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Montclair State University is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State is a public college with a very large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Montclair State take out $26,191 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $229.

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Georgian Court University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Lakewood, Georgian Court is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Georgian Court accumulate an average of around $24,892 in student debt.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Georgian Court University Report

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. FDU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Madison.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus Report

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the suburb of Teaneck, FDU is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus Report

#9

Saint Peter's University

Jersey City, NJ

Saint Peter’s University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey ranking. Located in the city of Jersey City, Saint Peter's College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Parks & Rec majors at Saint Peter's College take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saint Peter’s University Report

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 2,734
New York 2,477
Maryland 832
Delaware 342
District of Columbia 319

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 67,146
Recreation Administration 3,122
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 3,106
Outdoor Education 265
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 174

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 142,610
Public Administration & Social Service 98,583
Legal Professions 61,055
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4,477

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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