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

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

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

9 Colleges
$28,239 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$31,053 Avg Salary

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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in New Jersey to see which programs offered the best value experiences for parks and rec students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value 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 value for your educational dollar.

Best New Jersey Schools for Affordable Quality in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

#1

Kean University

Union, NJ
$12,595 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Kean University the best value school in New Jersey for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the large suburb of Union, Kean is a public college with a large student population.

Kean undergraduate students pay an average of $12,595 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Kean accumulate an average of around $28,125 in student debt.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Kean University Report

#2

Montclair State University

Montclair, NJ
$13,298 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Montclair State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State is a public school with a very large student population.

Montclair State undergraduate students pay an average of $13,298 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.

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

$14,208 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means William Paterson University of New Jersey is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. William Paterson University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Wayne.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at William Paterson University are $14,208 a year. 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.

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$15,804 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Rutgers New Brunswick is a very large public school located in the small city of New Brunswick.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Rutgers New Brunswick are $15,804 a year. 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

$40,054 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. FDU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Madison.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FDU are $40,054 per year.

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$38,074 Average Tuition & Fees

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the suburb of Teaneck, FDU is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FDU are $38,074 per year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus

#7

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ
$46,880 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Seton Hall University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Seton Hall is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of South Orange.

Seton Hall undergraduate students pay an average of $46,880 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at Seton Hall take out an average of $24,125 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Seton Hall University Report

$34,481 Average Tuition & Fees

Georgian Court University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of Lakewood, Georgian Court is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Georgian Court undergraduate students pay an average of $34,481 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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

#9

Saint Peter's University

Jersey City, NJ
$38,760 Average Tuition & Fees

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

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saint Peter’s College are $38,760 per year. 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 Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges 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.

  • 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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