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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

59 Ranked Colleges
7,778 Degrees Awarded
$7,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 72,122 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 13,292 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,601 and $24,679 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,778 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness 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 59 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness 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, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

Out of the 59 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 - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 268 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,379 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 562 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State Fullerton

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 271 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,264 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 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fresno State

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,455 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego 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 $0-$30k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 427 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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, & Fitness Studies at San Diego State University

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 443 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 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 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUN

#7

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#3 in overall quality

Washington State University came in at #7 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. Washington State University is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 178 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Wazzu also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $9,334 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%.

Full Washington State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 305 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, CSULB has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full CSULB Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

California State University - San Bernardino 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. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 276 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - San Bernardino

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,410 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

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

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 438 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 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 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sac State

#18 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #12 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 Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school awarded 265 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UNLV also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $9,378 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#1 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #13 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. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 263 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $10,940 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 185 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 $0-$30k list, CSUMB has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $7,688 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Monterey Bay Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #15 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. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUB

#16

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, San Francisco State 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. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 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, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU 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, & Fitness Studies at San Francisco State University

#17

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University ranked #17 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 handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend EWU is $8,473 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#18

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#21 in overall quality

Western Washington University ranked #18 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. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 95 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 $0-$30k list, WWU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,743 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WWU.

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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Washington University

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 207 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $9,517 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, California State University - East Bay 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. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 191 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 #24 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full California State University - East Bay Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#21

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa ranked #21 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. UH Manoa is a fairly large school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 115 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,986 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa.

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%.

Full UH Manoa Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #22 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. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 160 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,596 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal Poly Pomona

#23

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

Southern Oregon University ranked #23 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. Southern Oregon University is located in Ashland, Oregon and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Oregon University is $7,293 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Oregon University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#24

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

With a ranking of #24, Central Washington 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. Central Washington University is a public institution located in Ellensburg, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,875 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Washington University.

Full CWU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #25 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. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 307 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $10,260 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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, & Fitness Studies at Chico State

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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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