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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

59 Ranked Colleges
7,778 Degrees Awarded
$11,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 the Far Western US region, there were 13,292 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,601 and $24,679 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,778 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 268 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,768 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.

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

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 562 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #3 spot on the list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 271 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 87%.

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

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 140 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,215 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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%.

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

#14 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #5 spot on the list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 443 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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 California State University - Northridge

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 305 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,622 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 276 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 438 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, Sac State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,019 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Stan State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 87%.

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

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 427 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

Full San Diego State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 265 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, UNLV has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $11,424 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

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

#12

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#1 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 263 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid list, San Jose State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

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

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#14

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 247 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,113 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend San Francisco State University.

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

#24 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 191 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

California State University - San Marcos came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 207 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUMB is a public institution located in Seaside, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 California State University - Monterey Bay

#18

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

With a ranking of #18, Eastern Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $12,607 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Washington University

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 160 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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.

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

#20

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#3 in overall quality

Washington State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wazzu is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 178 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Wazzu not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $16,358 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Wazzu.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full Washington State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#21

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, this fairly large public school awarded 115 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,030 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid per year to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa.

The low 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Hawaii at Manoa

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

#23

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

Southern Oregon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized public school situated in Ashland, Oregon. It awarded 52 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Oregon University is $10,386 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern Oregon University

#24

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

With a ranking of #24, Central Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ellensburg, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $15,397 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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

#25

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Western Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. WWU is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WWU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $16,529 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students with aid.

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 WWU

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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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