2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k
14
Ranked Colleges
787
Degrees Awarded
$10,700
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 3,106 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 166th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,801 and had an average of $23,333 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 787 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,514 and $19,115 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation and leisure studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $7,573 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at CSULB
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $4,655 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Fresno State
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #3 spot on the list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Sac State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Chico. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 99 students in 2020-2021.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $13,040 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California State University - Chico Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #5 spot on the list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $13,378 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Jose State University
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
With a ranking of #7, Western Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Western Washington University is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 48 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $11,357 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Western Washington University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,274 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at SDSU
Eastern Washington University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cheney, Washington, and it awarded 10 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, EWU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $8,595 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Eastern Washington University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $11,025 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - East Bay
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 46 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,862 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at SFSU
Southern Oregon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Ashland, Oregon, and it awarded 27 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Oregon University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Oregon University is $7,503 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southern Oregon University
Humboldt State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 31 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $12,298 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Humboldt State University
Oregon State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oregon State University is located in Corvallis, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Oregon State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $17,173 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oregon State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Oregon State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
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Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Most Focused Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students getting aid in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Highest Paid Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Graduates in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Most Popular Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Far Western US Region
Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
