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2023 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in California

28 Ranked Colleges
11,772 Degrees Awarded
$23,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” 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 Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

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

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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 Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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.

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Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in California

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 339 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA also took the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $3,302 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #2 for the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 323 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $6,230 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Fresno State.

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

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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 581 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,003 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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

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

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 491 ’s parks and rec 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 yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

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

5

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #5 spot on the list. 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 yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,026 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6

California State University - Sacramento came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 404 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k 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 California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

7
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #7, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 454 ’s parks and rec 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. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $13,845 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Diego State University

8

California State University - Northridge ranked #8 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 495 students in 2020-2021.

CSUN also took the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,523 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend CSUN.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

9

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 202 students in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also took the #24 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,107 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

10
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #10, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Jose State University 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.

In addition to being on our california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, San Jose State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 325 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,218 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k 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 Chico State

12

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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 $6,566 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Stan State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Stan State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

13

California State University - San Marcos came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 183 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $13,218 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k 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 California State University - San Marcos

14

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 227 students 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 California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k 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 also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $13,298 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

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

16

With a ranking of #16, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 201 ’s parks and rec 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. It costs about $14,304 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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 2.6%, 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 Polytechnic University - Pomona

17
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 274 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,459 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SFSU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

18
19

Concordia University, Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 438 ’s parks and rec degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Irvine is $27,201 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 154 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $13,597 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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 California State University - Monterey Bay

21
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #21, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. SSU is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,563 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SSU.

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

22
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #22. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 280 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $26,719 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at California Baptist University

23
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 129 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,956 for california parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

24
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

With a ranking of #24, Whittier College did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Whittier is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 53 ’s parks and rec degrees 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 $26,740 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Whittier College

25
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 68 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PLNU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $34,575 for California Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend PLNU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

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

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