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2025 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools in California

3 Colleges in California
3,731 Associate Degrees
$30,570 Avg Early-Career Salary
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is about average in terms of popularity for associate degrees programs. That is, it ranks #21 out of the 38 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 3 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,731 associate degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for Your Associate Degree

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools in California Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your associate 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.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their associate degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Associate Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in California

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students seeking a an associate degree.

Top California Schools for an Associate in Parks & Rec

1
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
175 Annual Graduates

Riverside City College is a good option for students interested in an associate degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Riverside City College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Riverside.More information about a associate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Riverside City College

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
410 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Mt. San Antonio College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Mt. SAC is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Walnut.More information about a associate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Mt. San Antonio College

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat International Sports Sciences Association if you wish to pursue an associate degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Carpinteria, ISSA is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.More information about a associate in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from International Sports Sciences Association

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Oregon 35 30
Nevada 35 7
Washington 33 41
Alaska 22 4

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Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 3,650
Recreation Administration 45
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 31
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 5

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 626

Notes and References

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