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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

36 Ranked Colleges
6,201 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 California, there were 11,357 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,588 and $23,018 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,201 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 36 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness 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.

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california 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 California

#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 268 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also took the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Full Cal State LA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#4 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 California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 562 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#17 in overall quality

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 California 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.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,264 for california 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 join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 140 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#3 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 California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 427 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SDSU

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 443 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for california 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUN

#7 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 305 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california 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 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, & Fitness Studies Report

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 276 students in 2019-2020.

CSUSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for california 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 more about 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 California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 438 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for california 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Sac State

#11

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#1 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 263 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State.

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%.

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

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 185 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $7,688 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUMB

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#14

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#5 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 247 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SFSU

#19 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 207 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSM has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $9,517 for California 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%.

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

#15 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 191 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

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

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 307 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chico State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 102 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sonoma State University.

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%.

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

#20

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

With a ranking of #20, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 111 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $11,263 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#21

Holy Names University

Oakland, California

Holy Names University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for HNU is $18,048 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at HNU

Vanguard University of Southern California came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Vanguard University of Southern California is $15,222 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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, & Fitness Studies at Vanguard

#23

National University

La Jolla, California
#23 in overall quality

National University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

National University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full National University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#24

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

Westmont College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Westmont is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Westmont did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Westmont College is $23,381 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#25

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#16 in overall quality

California Baptist University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 129 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,277 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Baptist University.

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%.

Full California Baptist University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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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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