2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
46
Ranked Colleges
13,660
Degrees Awarded
$9,200
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 13,660 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,616 and $20,987 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 46 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. 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 in the Far Western US Region 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. 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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value 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 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 339 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,701 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State LA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mt. San Antonio College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 521 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $3,035 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mt. SAC
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 323 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $4,655 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fresno State
Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #4 spot on the list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 163 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,329 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUDH
Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 581 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for Far Western US Region 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 - Fullerton
California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 491 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
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 Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSULB
California State University - Sacramento ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 404 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 495 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUN has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 - Northridge
San Diego State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 454 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,274 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 undergraduate students.
Full San Diego State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Washington State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington State University is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Wazzu did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $8,719 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Washington State University.
The undergrad 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Wazzu
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 202 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,613 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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 85%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUSB
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $4,903 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 265 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UNLV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $9,602 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UNLV
San Jose State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 290 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $13,378 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State
California State University - East Bay ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 239 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,025 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - East Bay Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 183 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUSM has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,348 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSM.
The undergrad 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - San Marcos
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 325 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,040 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 California State University - Chico
Central Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Ellensburg, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.
CWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for CWU is $12,706 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full CWU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 201 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,992 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal Poly Pomona
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 227 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Western Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Western Washington University is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 116 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $11,357 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad 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 Western Washington University
Eastern Washington University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. EWU is a public institution located in Cheney, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $8,595 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at EWU
San Francisco State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 274 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,862 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Francisco State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Francisco State University
University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. UH Manoa is a public institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 108 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,172 for Far Western US Region Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 UH Manoa
Oregon State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oregon State is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 253 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Oregon State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $17,173 for far western us region parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oregon State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Oregon State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
college factual
