2024 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California
10
Colleges in California
678
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
If you plan on majoring in
parks, recreation & leisure studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #218 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 678 degrees in parks, recreation & leisure studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School
The parks & rec program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies rankings. For our Best Overall Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Rankings by Degree Level
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 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in California
The schools below may not offer all types of parks & rec degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top California Schools in Parks & Rec
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In CA
91
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
California State University - Long Beach is a great decision for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Long Beach. A Best Colleges rank of #186 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means CSULB is a great university overall.
There were approximately 91 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California State University - Long Beach
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
119
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #95 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.
There were approximately 119 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In CA
99
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat California State University - Chico if you wish to pursue a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the medium-sized city of Chico, Chico State is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 79th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 99 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Chico State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California State University - Chico
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In CA
40
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
San Jose State University is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. San Jose State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Jose. A Best Colleges rank of #161 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means San Jose State is a great university overall.
There were about 40 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from San Jose State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In CA
100
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 39th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 100 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California State University - Sacramento
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In CA
46
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
SFSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #204 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 46 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from San Francisco State University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In CA
31
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
Located in the large suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 61st out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 31 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Cal State East Bay in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California State University - East Bay
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
7th
Most Popular In CA
37
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
Fresno State is a very large public university located in the city of Fresno. This university ranks 74th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 37 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Fresno State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from California State University - Fresno
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In CA
32
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
SDSU is a very large public university located in the large city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 32 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from San Diego State University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In CA
31
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Arcata. This university ranks 126th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 31 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Humboldt State University in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Humboldt State University
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