Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

14 Ranked Colleges
654 Degrees Awarded
$9,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 3,224 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 152nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,957 and had an average of $22,487 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 733 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,378 and $18,768 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 654 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation and leisure studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 37 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $3,264 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Fresno State Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #2 spot on the list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $6,364 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #3 spot on the list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 121 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Sac State

#4

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #4 spot on the list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 41 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#5

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,940 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Jose State

#6

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#11 in overall quality

Eastern Washington University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cheney, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

EWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $8,473 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Eastern Washington University

California State University - Chico landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $10,260 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

The low 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 Studies at Chico State

#8

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

WWU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $9,743 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full WWU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

California State University - East Bay landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,036 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#10

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFSU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Francisco State University

#11

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

Southern Oregon University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ashland, Oregon, this medium-sized public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Southern Oregon University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $7,293 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Oregon University.

Full Southern Oregon University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#12

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oregon State is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 20 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oregon State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State is $14,157 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Oregon State University

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#14 in overall quality

Humboldt State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $11,263 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Humboldt State University

#14

Alaska Pacific University

Anchorage, Alaska

With a ranking of #14, Alaska Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Alaska Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Anchorage, Alaska. It awarded 6 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Alaska Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Alaska Pacific is $19,580 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

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

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Featured Athletic Training Schools

Find Schools Near You