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2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in California

20 Colleges in California
1,094 Master's Degrees
$43,911 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies sits in the middle of the road, ranking #16 out of 37 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

College Factual reviewed 20 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,094 master's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for Your Master's Degree

Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your master's 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. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

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 master's 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 Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.

10 Top California Schools for a Master's in Parks & Rec

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
405 Annual Graduates

Concordia University, Irvine is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Irvine.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Concordia University, Irvine

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
116 Annual Graduates

California State University - Long Beach is a great option for students pursuing a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from California State University - Long Beach

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat California Baptist University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Cal Baptist is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Riverside.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from California Baptist University

4
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies has to take a look at University of San Francisco. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of San Francisco

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of San Diego, PLNU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Point Loma Nazarene University

6
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Annual Graduates

National University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from National University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
23 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from San Jose State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from San Diego State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Stockton, Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of the Pacific

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
12 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from San Francisco State University

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

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 31 122
Oregon 29 43
Hawaii 27 12
Nevada 27 11
Alaska 21 5

View All Rankings >

Parks & Rec Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 1,077
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 17

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration & Social Service 5,193

Notes and References

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