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2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

35 Ranked Colleges
6,201 Degrees Awarded
$10,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california 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 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 $30-$48k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 268 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 562 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

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

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 271 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Fresno State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Fresno

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 California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 140 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUDH.

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%.

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

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 443 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,883 for California 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

#7 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 305 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #7 spot 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 $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, 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 $30-$48k list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 276 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also took the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,869 for california 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

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

SDSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Diego State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stan State 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 California 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%. 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 Stan State

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 438 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $7,823 for California 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 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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 263 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $11,752 for california 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%.

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

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $3,880 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#5 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 247 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 185 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $9,567 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 California State University - Monterey Bay

#19 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 207 students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $10,347 for California 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 California State University - San Marcos

#15 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 191 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Chico 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.

Chico State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,576 for California 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%.

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

#18 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 160 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $13,248 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

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

#20

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 111 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $12,775 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Vanguard University of Southern California 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 $30-$48k ranking. Vanguard University of Southern California is a small school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,123 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanguard.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#22

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#16 in overall quality

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 129 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Cal Baptist also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $21,716 for California 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%.

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

#23

La Sierra University

Riverside, California

La Sierra University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for La Sierra University is $21,494 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 La Sierra University

#24

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Thousand Oaks, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,578 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Lutheran University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 California Lutheran University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#25

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#13 in overall quality

University of the Pacific ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of the Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 63 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $23,385 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full University of the Pacific 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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