2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in California
27
Ranked Colleges
998
Degrees Awarded
$45,051
Avg Salary
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking.
In 2021-2022, 72,741 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. 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 California, there were 11,233 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,104 and $20,820 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 998 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,735 and $51,649 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking looked at 27 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.
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California”.
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.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California”.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in California
Out of the 27 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Irvine landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 333 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine
Out of the 27 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Baptist University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 122 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal Baptist Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Out of the 27 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #3 spot on the list. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks & rec degrees to 54 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at PLNU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of San Francisco. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. San Francisco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks & rec degrees to 94 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at USFCA
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William Jessup University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. William Jessup University is a small school located in Rocklin, California that handed out 9 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at William Jessup University
California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 129 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Long Beach
Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. SMC is located in Moraga, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full Saint Mary’s College of California Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
National University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. National University is a fairly large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 50 masters’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at National University
With a ranking of #9, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Located in Stockton, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 University of the Pacific
Humboldt State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full Humboldt State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Fresno Pacific University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Fresno Pacific is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 21 masters’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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fresno Pacific
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State Fullerton
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 masters’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%.
Full California State University - Northridge Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 masters’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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Fresno
California State University - Chico landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks & rec degrees to 8 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Chico State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - San Marcos came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 10 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 - San Marcos
San Jose State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 34 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University
San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks & rec degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Full San Francisco State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Cal State East Bay
California State University - Sacramento landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks & rec students 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sac State
San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 2 masters’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 SDSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’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 California State University - Los Angeles
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks & rec degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Southern California
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 170 masters’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
