2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region
14
Ranked Colleges
787
Degrees Awarded
$14,200
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Far Western US Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 3,106 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 166th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,801 and had an average of $23,333 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 787 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,514 and $19,115 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation and leisure studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in the Far Western US Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region parks & rec students.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 91 students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSULB Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Chico. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,218 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Chico Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #3 spot on the list. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 40 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,542 for far western us region parks & rec students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Jose State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 100 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for far western us region parks & rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Sacramento
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 46 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,459 for far western us region parks & rec students per year to attend San Francisco State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at SFSU
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 37 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $6,230 for far western us region parks & rec students.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California State University - Fresno
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #7. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 119 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $20,677 for far western us region parks & rec students per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Western Washington University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.
WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $17,070 for far western us region parks & rec students per year to attend Western Washington University.
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 full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Western Washington University
California State University - East Bay came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Cal State East Bay also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,298 for far western us region parks & rec students per year to attend California State University - East Bay.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State East Bay Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 32 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $13,845 for far western us region parks & rec students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full SDSU Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Eastern Washington University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Cheney, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
EWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $12,335 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at EWU
Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #12. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,956 for far western us region parks & rec students.
Full Humboldt State University Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Report
Southern Oregon University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Ashland, Oregon is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
Southern Oregon University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $10,187 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students per year to attend Southern Oregon University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southern Oregon University
Oregon State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Corvallis, Oregon, this large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Oregon State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State is $21,508 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Oregon State
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Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Most Focused Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students getting aid in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Highest Paid Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Graduates in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Most Popular Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Far Western US Region
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
- *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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