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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in California

35 Ranked Colleges
6,201 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $75-$110k” 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.

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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in California

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 268 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also took the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $9,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

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 $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 562 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $12,916 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State Fullerton

#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 271 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k 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 estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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 California State University - Fresno

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #4 spot on the list. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $10,904 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

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

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 305 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,544 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

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

#9 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 443 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,346 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

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%.

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

#22 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 276 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,611 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUSB.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,381 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stan State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive 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 California State University - Stanislaus

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 438 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,812 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Sac State.

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

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

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#3 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 427 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $18,766 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#11

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#1 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 263 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, San Jose State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $19,805 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

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

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 117 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $11,743 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 185 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees 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 $17,719 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#18 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 160 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $17,944 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full Cal Poly Pomona Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#5 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 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 yearly cost to attend SFSU is $21,027 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#19 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 207 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $18,620 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 191 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $17,710 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Chico State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $19,444 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 102 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,753 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SSU.

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

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Westmont College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Westmont is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Westmont has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,230 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Westmont College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. The University of Arizona Global Campus is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UAGC is $23,585 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#22

Concordia University, Irvine

Irvine, California
#20 in overall quality

Concordia University, Irvine landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Irvine, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Irvine is $27,242 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Concordia University, Irvine

#23

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 111 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $20,170 for California Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Vanguard is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Vanguard University of Southern California is $22,130 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The 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 Vanguard

#25

Holy Names University

Oakland, California

Holy Names University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Holy Names University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oakland, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend HNU is $28,543 for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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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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