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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

14 Ranked Colleges
654 Degrees Awarded
$10,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation and leisure studies programs and cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Fresno State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,731 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

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. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,595 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at CSULB

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Sacramento. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $7,823 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #4 spot on the list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

#5

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $11,752 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#6

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#11 in overall quality

Eastern Washington University came in at #6 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 $30-$48k ranking. EWU is a fairly large public school situated in Cheney, Washington. It awarded 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

EWU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $8,821 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at EWU

California State University - East Bay ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

California State University - Chico landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $11,576 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Chico

#9

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University 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 $30-$48k ranking. WWU is located in Bellingham, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

WWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $11,228 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Western Washington University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#10

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #10 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 $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $12,517 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#11

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

Southern Oregon University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ashland, Oregon, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Southern Oregon University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,270 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Oregon University.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southern Oregon University

#12

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University came in at #12 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 $30-$48k ranking. Oregon State is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 20 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Oregon State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State University is $15,770 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

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

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#14 in overall quality

Humboldt State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,775 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report

#14

Alaska Pacific University

Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska Pacific University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Alaska Pacific University is a small school located in Anchorage, Alaska that handed out 6 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Alaska Pacific has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Alaska Pacific is $14,365 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

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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.

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