2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 the Far Western US Region” 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 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” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 443 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUN
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 305 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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 per year to attend CSULB.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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
Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 185 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
CSUMB also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUMB
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 271 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
San Jose State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 263 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University
San Francisco State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 247 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SFSU
California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 562 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students 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.
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%. 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 Cal State Fullerton
With a ranking of #9, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 276 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,342 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
National University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at National University
California State University - Chico ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,017 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Chico State.
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 Chico State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 438 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #13 spot 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 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%.
California State University - San Marcos ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. 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.
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 CSUSM
With a ranking of #14, 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 list. UNLV is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 265 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UNLV also took the #18 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,424 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend UNLV.
Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
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 ranking, coming in at #15. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 191 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 list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,116 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Cal State East Bay.
Full Cal State East Bay Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
San Diego State University 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 ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 427 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 list, SDSU has also earned the #6 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 Diego State University is $14,788 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SDSU
Washington State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 178 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Wazzu also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $16,358 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
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 Washington State University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Warner Pacific University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Warner Pacific is $21,733 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Warner Pacific University
With a ranking of #19, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. 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 per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal State LA
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 160 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 ranking of #21, 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 list. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,019 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Stan State.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Hawaii at Hilo landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Hilo, Hawaii, this small public school awarded 47 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UH Hilo is $13,885 for far western us region bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Full University of Hawaii at Hilo Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 140 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees 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.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Western Washington University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 95 students in 2019-2020.
WWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $16,529 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Washington University
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,478 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SSU
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
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