2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Massachusetts
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
With 1,195 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #20 most popular major in Massachusetts.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in Massachusetts 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.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Massachusetts Amherst the best value school in Massachusetts for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. UMass Amherst is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Amherst.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMass Amherst are $16,439 a year. On average, parks and rec graduates from UMass Amherst take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $543.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Westfield State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Westfield is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Westfield.
Westfield undergraduate students pay an average of $11,139 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Westfield take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Fitchburg State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Fitchburg, Fitchburg State is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Fitchburg State are $10,655 a year. Parks & Rec majors at Fitchburg State take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Salem State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the suburb of Salem, Salem State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Salem State are $11,675 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Salem State take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $220, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The excellent programs at University of Massachusetts - Boston helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Massachusetts. UMass Boston is a fairly large public school located in the city of Boston.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMass Boston are $14,677 per year. Parks & Rec majors at UMass Boston take out an average of $25,713 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network 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 #6 on the list. Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network undergraduate students pay an average of $13,392 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Lasell University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Massachusetts list. Lasell is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Newton.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Lasell are $42,000 a year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Lasell accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $443, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Northeastern 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 Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeastern are $57,592 per year.
Northeastern also claimed a spot on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Massachusetts list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #8, Endicott College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Endicott is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Beverly.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Endicott are $36,614 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Endicott take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $470.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Endicott College Report
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Gordon College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the suburb of Wenham, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Gordon College undergraduate students pay an average of $26,250 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Request InformationBest Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the New England Region
Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 569 |
| Maine | 200 |
| Rhode Island | 291 |
| Connecticut | 332 |
| Vermont | 165 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Massachusetts
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Related Majors for Parks & Rec
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Parks & Rec
| 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 14 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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