2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in California
29
Ranked Colleges
11,772
Degrees Awarded
$11,000
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 California, there were 11,772 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,218 and $19,856 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 29 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.
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
The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $30-$48k) in California
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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 339 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $2,701 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State LA
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 California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Walnut, California, this large public school awarded 521 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Mt. SAC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $3,035 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Mt. San Antonio College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 323 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Fresno State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $4,655 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fresno State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 163 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
CSUDH also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $3,329 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 581 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,821 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State Fullerton
California State University - Long Beach landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 491 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,573 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 - Long Beach
California State University - Sacramento ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California 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.
In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Sac State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,055 for California 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 Sac State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 495 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for california 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 CSUN
San Diego State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 454 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,274 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full SDSU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 202 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUSB has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,613 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - San Bernardino
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 107 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,903 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State University - Stanislaus
San Jose State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 290 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $13,378 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University
California State University - East Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 239 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,025 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 183 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSM also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,348 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 CSUSM
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 325 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $13,040 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Chico State
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 201 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,992 for california 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 227 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Francisco State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 274 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $11,862 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SFSU
California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUMB is a public institution located in Seaside, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 154 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $10,711 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 - Monterey Bay
With a ranking of #20, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
SSU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $13,983 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 SSU
Humboldt State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 129 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $12,298 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Humboldt State University
California Baptist University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 280 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $22,162 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California Baptist University
Concordia University, Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Irvine, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 438 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $23,262 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Concordia University, Irvine.
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%.
Full Concordia University, Irvine Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Whittier College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Whittier, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
Whittier also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Whittier is $21,666 for california parks & rec students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Whittier College
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