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2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the New England Region

27 Colleges in the New England Region
2,268 Bachelor's Degrees
$33,561 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #13 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 27 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the New England Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,268 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the New England Region Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality parks & rec program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the New England Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the New England Region

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top New England Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Parks & Rec

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Annual Graduates

University of Massachusetts Amherst is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Massachusetts Amherst

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
128 Annual Graduates

University of New Hampshire - Main Campus is a good decision for students interested in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. UNH is a large public university located in the town of Durham.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of New Hampshire - Main Campus

3
Endicott crest
Endicott College
Beverly, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Annual Graduates

Endicott College is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Endicott is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Beverly.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Endicott College

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
162 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Massachusetts - Boston if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. UMass Boston is a large public university located in the large city of Boston.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Massachusetts - Boston

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Annual Graduates

Located in the fringe town of Storrs, UCONN is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Connecticut

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Plymouth, Plymouth State is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Plymouth State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Annual Graduates

JWU Providence is a small private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Johnson & Wales University - Providence

8
Dean College crest
Dean College
Franklin, MA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Franklin, Dean College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Dean College

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Westfield, Westfield is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Westfield State University

10
Lasell crest
Lasell University
Newton, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Annual Graduates

Lasell is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Newton.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Lasell University

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies colleges for a specific state in the New England Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Massachusetts 33 920
New Hampshire 32 373
Vermont 32 149
Maine 32 192
Rhode Island 32 255
Connecticut 31 223

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 2,067
Recreation Administration 154
Outdoor Education 20
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 18
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 9

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 2,047

Notes and References

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