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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region

80 Ranked Colleges
7,370 Degrees Awarded
$28,977 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,741 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $31,466 and had an average of $24,117 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 13,000 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,446 and $21,331 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,370 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,948 and $20,385 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking looked at 80 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region

1
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

Out of the 80 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Whittier College landed the #1 spot on the list. Whittier is a small school located in Whittier, California that handed out 46 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

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 Whittier College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

2
University of Saint Katherine crest
University of Saint Katherine
San Marcos, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Saint Katherine. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region. University of Saint Katherine is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Saint Katherine

3
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Westmont College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 36 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 85%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

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

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Warner Pacific University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region. Warner Pacific is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

5
EOU crest
Eastern Oregon University
La Grande, Oregon

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Oregon University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Eastern Oregon University is located in La Grande, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

6
HNU crest
Holy Names University
Oakland, California

Holy Names University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #6. Holy Names University is located in Oakland, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

7

Linfield University - McMinnville Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #7. McMinnville, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 38 students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Linfield University - McMinnville Campus

8

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

9

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 297 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.

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 Chico State

10
UAV crest
University of Antelope Valley
Lancaster, California

With a ranking of #10, University of Antelope Valley did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. UAV is a small school located in Lancaster, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

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

11
San Diego Christian crest
San Diego Christian College
Spring Valley, California

With a ranking of #11, San Diego Christian College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. San Diego Christian College is a small school located in Spring Valley, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego Christian Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

12
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #12, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Humboldt State University

13

Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Vanguard University of Southern California Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

14
La Sierra crest
La Sierra University
Riverside, California

La Sierra University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at La Sierra

15
PLU crest
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington

Pacific Lutheran University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Tacoma, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 47 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at PLU

16
Alaska Pacific crest
Alaska Pacific University
Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska Pacific University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Anchorage, Alaska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Alaska Pacific University

17

California State University - Fresno landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 275 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

18

University of Hawaii at Hilo came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. UH Hilo is a small school located in Hilo, Hawaii that handed out 50 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Hawaii at Hilo

19

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

20

California State University - Fullerton ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 541 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Cal State Fullerton

21
William Jessup University crest
William Jessup University
Rocklin, California

William Jessup University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. William Jessup University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rocklin, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad 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 William Jessup University

22

California State University - Sacramento landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 375 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

23
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 114 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Baptist University

24
The Master's University crest
The Master's University and Seminary
Santa Clarita, California

The Master’s University and Seminary came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. The Master’s University and Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clarita, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The Master’s University

25

California State University - East Bay ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 230 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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