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

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

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

24 Colleges
$30,943 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$33,338 Avg Salary

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

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #22 most popular major in New York with 2,477 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New York ranking. This report analyzed 24 schools in New York to see which ones offered the best value programs for parks and rec students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

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 York

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

#1

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, NY
$8,576 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Farmingdale State College to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in New York. Located in the large suburb of Farmingdale, SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale are $8,576 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale take out $25,966 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#2

The College at Brockport

Brockport, NY
$8,678 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 24 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, The College at Brockport landed the # 2 spot on the list. SUNY Brockport is a moderately-sized public school located in the fringe town of Brockport.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SUNY Brockport are $8,678 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from SUNY Brockport take out $25,654 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $226.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The College at Brockport Report

#3

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, NY

The excellent programs at SUNY Cortland helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in New York. SUNY Cortland is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Cortland.

SUNY Cortland undergraduate students pay an average of $8,815 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from SUNY Cortland take out $25,974 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $301, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, SUNY Cortland also is in the top 20% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New York ranking.

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#4

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, NY
$8,760 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means SUNY Fredonia is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the distant town of Fredonia, SUNY Fredonia is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SUNY Fredonia are $8,760 a year. Parks & Rec majors at SUNY Fredonia take out an average of $26,987 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#5

Lehman College

Bronx, NY
$7,410 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Lehman College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New York list. Located in the large city of Bronx, Lehman is a public school with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lehman are $7,410 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Lehman take out an average of $7,457 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#6

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, NY
$7,440 Average Tuition & Fees

Brooklyn College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New York ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Brooklyn.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Brooklyn College are $7,440 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Brooklyn College take out $13,915 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Brooklyn College Report

#7

Queens College

Queens, NY
$7,538 Average Tuition & Fees

Queens College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the city of Queens, QC is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at QC are $7,538 a year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at QC accumulate an average of around $12,000 in student debt.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Queens College Report

#8

Canisius College

Buffalo, NY
$30,910 Average Tuition & Fees

Canisius College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New York list. Located in the city of Buffalo, Canisius is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Canisius are $30,910 a year. Parks & Rec majors at Canisius take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $345.

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$30,576 Average Tuition & Fees

St. Joseph’s College - New York ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New York list. Located in the large city of Brooklyn, SJC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

SJC undergraduate students pay an average of $30,576 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at SJC take out an average of $20,500 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#10

St. John Fisher College

Rochester, NY
$36,352 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, St. John Fisher College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Fisher is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester.

Fisher undergraduate students pay an average of $36,352 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at Fisher take out an average of $25,125 in student loans while working on their egree.

Fisher excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New York list.

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

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
New Jersey 1,047
Pennsylvania 2,734
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 24 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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