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2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

29 Ranked Colleges
11,772 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 $48-$75k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $48-$75k) in California

1
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mt. San Antonio College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Mt. San Antonio College is a large school located in Walnut, California that handed out 521 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Mt. SAC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mt. San Antonio College is $5,768 for california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Mt. SAC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

2

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,700 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

3

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 $48-$75k. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 323 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $8,030 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 581 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

5

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 163 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUDH has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,333 for california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUDH.

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 CSUDH

6

California State University - Long Beach came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 491 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,189 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

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

7

California State University - Sacramento landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 404 students in 2020-2021.

Sac State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $12,602 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Sac State

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 202 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $9,854 for california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 California State University - San Bernardino

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 454 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,698 for california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k 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

10

California State University - Northridge landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 495 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUN has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,780 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUN.

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%.

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

11

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 107 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $7,976 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

12

California State University - East Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 239 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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 estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $15,615 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

13

California State University - San Marcos landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 183 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $14,309 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

14
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. 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.

In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,338 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 325 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,738 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chico State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Chico State

16

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 201 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $15,958 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

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

17

With a ranking of #17, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 227 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,340 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 274 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $16,065 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

19

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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 estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $14,319 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

20

Concordia University, Irvine came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Concordia University, Irvine is a small school located in Irvine, California that handed out 438 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Irvine also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,579 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Concordia University, Irvine.

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 Concordia University, Irvine

21
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 91 students in 2020-2021.

SSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,985 for california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

22
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $16,716 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

23
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 280 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $25,553 for california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Baptist.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

24
25
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Whittier, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 53 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k list, Whittier has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Whittier is $24,135 for california parks & rec students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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