by our College Data Analytics Team
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 “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 11,772 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,218 and $19,856 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 3,714 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,972 and $17,699 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking looked at 112 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Professional Golfers Career College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Temecula, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.
Full PGCC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend International Sports Sciences Association. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. This small school is located in Carpinteria, California, and it awarded 113 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full International Sports Sciences Association Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mt. San Antonio College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. Mt. San Antonio College is a large school located in Walnut, California that handed out 500 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Mt. San Antonio College
Out of the 112 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, College of the Canyons landed the #4 spot on the list. College of the Canyons is a fairly large school located in Santa Clarita, California that handed out 372 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full College of the Canyons Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cabrillo College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. This medium-sized school is located in Aptos, California, and it awarded 156 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Cabrillo College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Feather River Community College District came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Located in Quincy, California, this small public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Full Feather River College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Platt College - Anaheim ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Located in Anaheim, California, this small private for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified associates’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Platt College - Anaheim
With a ranking of #8, Riverside City College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Riverside City College is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 170 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Riverside City College
College of the Siskiyous landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. College of the Siskiyous is a small school located in Weed, California that handed out 9 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full College of the Siskiyous Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Clovis Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Clovis Community College is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Clovis Community College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Fresno City College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 88 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Fresno City College
With a ranking of #12, College of the Desert did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. College of the Desert is a fairly large school located in Palm Desert, California that handed out 44 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full College of the Desert Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Shasta College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. Shasta College is a medium-sized public school situated in Redding, California. It awarded 44 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Shasta College
Skyline College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. San Bruno, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Skyline College
Diablo Valley College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Diablo Valley is a fairly large school located in Pleasant Hill, California that handed out 87 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Diablo Valley College
Lake Tahoe Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. This small school is located in South Lake Tahoe, California, and it awarded 5 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Lake Tahoe Community College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Glendale Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. GCC is a fairly large public school situated in Glendale, California. It awarded 36 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at GCC
Cosumnes River College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Cosumnes River is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cosumnes River College
With a ranking of #19, Norco College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Norco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s parks and rec degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Norco College
College of San Mateo ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. CSM is a medium-sized public school situated in San Mateo, California. It awarded 20 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSM
Columbia College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Columbia Junior College is a public institution located in Sonora, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Columbia Junior College
Hartnell College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Hartnell College is located in Salinas, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 associates’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Full Hartnell College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
West Valley College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. West Valley College is a public institution located in Saratoga, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Valley College
Citrus College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. Citrus College is a medium-sized school located in Glendora, California that handed out 76 associates’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Citrus College
With a ranking of #25, West Hills College-Lemoore did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. West Hills College-Lemoore is located in Lemoore, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 associates’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at West Hills College-Lemoore
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
