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2026 Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in Pennsylvania

[Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/therapeutic-recreation-recreational-therapy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in Pennsylvania

2026 Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools in Pennsylvania

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Schools

1

Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, PA

$10,568 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$53,032 Median Earnings (10yr)

Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania tops our 2026 list of the best value therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the town of Slippery Rock, Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,568, compared with $14,676 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy program here. Early-career therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates make about $51,364. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.

2

Temple University
Philadelphia, PA

$23,005 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$63,727 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy will find it at Temple University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,005, while out-of-state students pay about $38,805. Typical student debt for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree recipients from Temple University generally make around $59,914. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Temple University admits about 80% of applicants.

View All Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked 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 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.