2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region
48
Ranked Colleges
13,660
Degrees Awarded
$14,700
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 13,660 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,616 and $20,987 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking analyzed 48 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness 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, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
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 “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region parks & rec students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Concordia University, Irvine. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Concordia University, Irvine is a small school located in Irvine, California that handed out 438 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Irvine also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Irvine is $27,201 for far western us region parks & rec students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Point Loma Nazarene University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region. Point Loma Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
PLNU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $34,575 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students per year to attend PLNU.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 PLNU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 323 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students list, Fresno State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,230 for far western us region parks & rec students per year to attend Fresno State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 - Fresno
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 491 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students list, CSULB has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students per year to attend CSULB.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Mt. San Antonio College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Walnut, California, this large public school handed out 521 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Mt. San Antonio College is $3,144 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mt. SAC
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 325 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $16,218 for far western us region parks & rec students per year to attend Chico State.
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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Chico State
California State University - Northridge came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 495 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students list, CSUN has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,523 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUN Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 183 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,218 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
The low undergrad 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUSM
With a ranking of #10, International Sports Sciences Association did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. ISSA is a small school located in Carpinteria, California that handed out 127 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend ISSA is $17,176 for far western us region parks & rec students.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at ISSA
With a ranking of #11, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 265 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UNLV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $10,993 for far western us region parks & rec students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.
Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #12. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 156 students in 2020-2021.
Wazzu also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $15,300 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students per year to attend Wazzu.
The low undergrad 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 Washington State University
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #13. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 404 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $11,178 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
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, & Fitness Studies at Sac State
San Jose State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 290 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,542 for far western us region parks & rec students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State
With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 454 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $13,845 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Diego State University
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #16. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 581 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State Fullerton Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #17. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 274 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students list, SFSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $14,459 for far western us region parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 SFSU
With a ranking of #18, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 239 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,298 for far western us region parks & rec students per year to attend Cal State East Bay.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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 - East Bay
California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #19. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 280 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $26,719 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students per year to attend California Baptist University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California Baptist University
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #20. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 202 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $8,107 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUSB Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 339 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students list, Cal State LA has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for far western us region parks & rec students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State LA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Central Washington University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CWU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $16,514 for far western us region parks & rec students per year to attend CWU.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Central Washington University
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 201 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,304 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 227 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #25, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Sonoma State University is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $17,563 for far western us region parks & rec students.
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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sonoma State University
