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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California

49 Ranked Colleges
6,426 Degrees Awarded
$30,000 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 a Bachelor’s 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,426 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. That schools that top this list have a program in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in California

1
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

Out of the 49 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Whittier College landed the #1 spot on the list. Whittier is a private not-for-profit institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

2
University of Saint Katherine crest
University of Saint Katherine
San Marcos, California

Out of the 49 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Saint Katherine landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Saint Katherine is located in San Marcos, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Saint Katherine

3
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Out of the 49 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Westmont College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Westmont College

4
HNU crest
Holy Names University
Oakland, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Holy Names University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. Holy Names University is a small school located in Oakland, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Holy Names University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Monterey Bay. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 154 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

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

6

California State University - Chico ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 311 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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 California State University - Chico

7
UAV crest
University of Antelope Valley
Lancaster, California

University of Antelope Valley landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Lancaster, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

8
San Diego Christian crest
San Diego Christian College
Santee, California

San Diego Christian College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Santee, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full San Diego Christian College Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

9
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #9, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 120 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

10

With a ranking of #10, Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Costa Mesa, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Vanguard University of Southern California

11
La Sierra crest
La Sierra University
Riverside, California

La Sierra University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. La Sierra University is located in Riverside, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 La Sierra University

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 304 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, 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 undergraduate students.

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

13

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 336 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

14

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 544 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

15
William Jessup University crest
William Jessup University
Rocklin, California

With a ranking of #15, William Jessup University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. William Jessup University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rocklin, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad 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 William Jessup University

16

California State University - Sacramento landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 396 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Sac State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

17
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. California Baptist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 151 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Cal Baptist

18
The Master's University crest
The Master's University and Seminary
Santa Clarita, California

The Master’s University and Seminary ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. This small school is located in Santa Clarita, California, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The Master’s University and Seminary Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

19

With a ranking of #19, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 234 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

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

20

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California 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 129 students in 2020-2021.

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

21
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 448 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

22

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 202 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at CSUSB

23

California State University - San Marcos landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 173 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad 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 CSUSM

24
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 91 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

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

25

California State University - Northridge ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 459 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

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%.

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

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