by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 16 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 994 master's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their master's degree.
The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to take a look at Concordia University, Irvine. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Irvine.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Concordia University, Irvine
Saint Mary's College of California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Saint Mary’s College of California
University of San Francisco is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of San Francisco
It's difficult to beat California State University - Long Beach if you want to pursue a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from California State University - Long Beach
CWU is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Ellensburg.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Central Washington University
Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from San Francisco State University
Cal Baptist is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Riverside.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from California Baptist University
Located in the midsize city of Las Vegas, UNLV is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Located in the city of Stockton, Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of the Pacific
CSUN is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Northridge.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from California State University - Northridge
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies schools for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 33 | 1,094 |
| Washington | 31 | 122 |
| Oregon | 29 | 43 |
| Hawaii | 27 | 12 |
| Nevada | 27 | 11 |
| Alaska | 21 | 5 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 975 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 15 |
| Outdoor Education | 4 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 6,847 |