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Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey

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2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey

31 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 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey ranking. Our analysis looked at 31 schools in New Jersey to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for parks and rec majors pursuing a .

Our 2023 rankings named Rutgers University - New Brunswick the most popular school in New Jersey for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Rutgers New Brunswick is a fairly large public school located in the city of New Brunswick.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Rutgers New Brunswick take out is $25,913. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $313.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Rutgers University - New Brunswick Report

#2

Montclair State University

Montclair, NJ

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Montclair State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey list. Located in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Montclair State take out is $26,191. 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

The excellent programs at William Paterson University of New Jersey helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in New Jersey. William Paterson University is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Wayne.

On average, parks and rec graduates from William Paterson University take out $29,987 in student loans while working on their degree. 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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#4

Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ

Out of the 31 schools in New Jersey that were part of this year’s ranking, Rowan University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Rowan is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Glassboro.

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

#5

Kean University

Union, NJ

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kean University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in New Jersey list. Located in the large suburb of Union, Kean is a public school with a large student population.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Kean carry an average student debt load of $28,125.

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

#6

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ

With a ranking of #6, Seton Hall University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Seton Hall is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of South Orange.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Seton Hall accumulate an average of around $24,125 in student debt.

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

#7

Monmouth University

West Long Branch, NJ

Monmouth University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Monmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of West Long Branch.

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

#8

Stockton University

Galloway, NJ

Stockton University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. Stockton State is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Galloway.

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#9

Saint Peter's University

Jersey City, NJ

Saint Peter’s University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large city of Jersey City, Saint Peter's College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Saint Peter's College take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Saint Peter’s University

#10

County College of Morris

Randolph, NJ

County College of Morris did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Randolph, County College of Morris is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at County College of Morris Report

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

Explore all the Most Popular 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 25 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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