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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in California

36 Ranked Colleges
6,201 Degrees Awarded
$28,405 Avg Salary
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 11,357 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,588 and $23,018 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,201 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 36 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also 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, leisure, and fitness 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, & Fitness 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in California

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 268 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State LA

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 562 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State Fullerton

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 271 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Fresno State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 140 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 443 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUN.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#7 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 305 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Long Beach

#22 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 276 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Stan State

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 438 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Sac State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Sacramento

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#3 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 427 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#11

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#1 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 263 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Bakersfield

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUMB, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $13,311 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Monterey Bay Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#14

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#5 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Francisco State University

#19 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 207 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $14,582 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - San Marcos

#15 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 191 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,048 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State East Bay

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 160 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Chico landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 307 students in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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, & Fitness Studies at Chico State

#19

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #19, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,644 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SSU

#20

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

With a ranking of #20, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 111 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $15,723 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Humboldt State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

With a ranking of #21, Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Vanguard University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Costa Mesa, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,625 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanguard University of Southern California.

The low 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%.

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

#22

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Westmont College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Westmont College is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Westmont also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Westmont College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Westmont Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#23

National University

La Jolla, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, National University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

National University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at National University

#24 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.

UAGC also took the #24 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,687 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Arizona Global Campus.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UAGC

#25

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 63 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $26,047 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of the Pacific.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 87%.

Full Pacific Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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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

Footnotes

  • *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.

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