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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

58 Ranked Colleges
7,778 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k” 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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 58 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 268 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#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 $30-$48k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 562 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #8 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 - Fullerton is $6,100 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - 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 $30-$48k. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 271 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,731 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

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 the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $3,115 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#14 in overall quality

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 443 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $6,883 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

#6

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Washington 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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 178 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #3 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 Wazzu is $11,337 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 305 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $7,595 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

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 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%.

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

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 276 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,869 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

San Diego State University 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 $30-$48k ranking. 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.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $10,594 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

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%.

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

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 $3,958 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stan State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 438 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 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 - Sacramento is $7,823 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

#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 $30-$48k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 265 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $9,880 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

With a ranking of #13, San Jose 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 $30-$48k list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 263 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #1 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 San Jose State University is $11,752 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 117 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $3,880 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#15

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

With a ranking of #15, Eastern 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 $30-$48k list. Eastern Washington University is a public institution located in Cheney, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $8,821 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Washington University

#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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $12,517 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Monterey 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 $30-$48k list. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 185 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $9,567 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

California State University - San Marcos ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 207 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $10,347 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#24 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,891 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#20

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#21 in overall quality

Western Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. 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.

WWU also took the #21 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 WWU is $11,228 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 WWU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#21

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

Southern Oregon University came in at #21 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 $30-$48k ranking. Southern Oregon University is a public institution located in Ashland, Oregon. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Oregon University is $9,270 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#22

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa came in at #22 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 $30-$48k ranking. University of Hawaii at Manoa is a fairly large public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 115 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Hawaii at Manoa is $12,540 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #23 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 $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 307 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 $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,576 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chico State.

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

#24

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University came in at #24 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 $30-$48k ranking. CWU 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.

The yearly cost to attend CWU is $11,423 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#25

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, Washington
#4 in overall quality

Pacific Lutheran University 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 $30-$48k ranking. PLU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tacoma, Washington. It awarded 52 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PLU, the school also landed the #4 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 Pacific Lutheran University is $17,998 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Pacific Lutheran University

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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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