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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

32 Ranked Colleges
1,314 Degrees Awarded
$20,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,314 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,319 and $48,880 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 32 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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

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 Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’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. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 120 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784.

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

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 36 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892.

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

#23 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 23 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Fresno State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fresno are $17,581, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#5

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Wazzu is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 13 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Wazzu are $27,561, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 18 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 8 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Sacramento are $18,356.

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

#9

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

EWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at EWU are $28,921, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#10

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
#7 in overall quality

Central Washington University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and it awarded 36 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CWU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at CWU are $24,976, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#11

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#19 in overall quality

Western Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. WWU is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Western Washington University are $24,105, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#12

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii
#16 in overall quality

University of Hawaii at Manoa came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Hawaii at Manoa is a fairly large school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 16 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UH Manoa has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UH Manoa are $34,550.

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

#13

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

With a ranking of #13, Southern Oregon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized public school situated in Ashland, Oregon. It awarded 8 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Oregon University are $23,445.

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

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#14 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State are $18,790.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University

#15

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SFSU are $17,944.

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

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 4 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNLV has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNLV are $21,962, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

California State University - East Bay came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 10 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - East Bay are $17,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 4 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #0 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona are $18,377.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Marcos are $18,661.

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

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chico State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Chico are $18,802.

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

#21

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon
#10 in overall quality

Oregon State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oregon State University is located in Corvallis, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oregon State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oregon State are $28,121, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#22

Gonzaga University

Spokane, Washington
#6 in overall quality

Gonzaga University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Spokane, Washington is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $0-$30k list, Gonzaga has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Gonzaga University are $17,675, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#23

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 7 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Humboldt State University are $18,802.

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

#24

Concordia University, Irvine

Irvine, California
#5 in overall quality

Concordia University, Irvine ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 452 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Irvine also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Irvine are $8,121.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine

#25

National University

La Jolla, California
#24 in overall quality

National University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

National University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at National University are $15,480, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full National 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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