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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region

43 Ranked Colleges
1,287 Degrees Awarded
$44,084 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking.

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 the Far Western US region, there were 13,660 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,616 and $20,987 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,287 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,693 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking analyzed 43 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.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region

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

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in the Far Western US Region

1
Concordia University, Irvine crest
Concordia University, Irvine
Irvine, California

Out of the 43 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Irvine landed the #1 spot on the list. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 405 masters’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%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Western States. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region. Western States Chiropractic College is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Western States Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

3
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Baptist University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 129 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Cal Baptist

4
Alaska Pacific crest
Alaska Pacific University
Anchorage, Alaska

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Alaska Pacific University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region. Anchorage, Alaska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Alaska Pacific

5
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Point Loma Nazarene University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region. Point Loma Nazarene University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 49 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Point Loma Nazarene University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

6
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 97 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

7
Corban crest
Corban University
Salem, Oregon

Corban University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #7. Salem, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

8
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington

Gonzaga University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Spokane, Washington, and it awarded 34 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

9
William Jessup University crest
William Jessup University
Rocklin, California

William Jessup University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. William Jessup University is a small school located in Rocklin, California that handed out 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees 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%.

Full William Jessup University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

10
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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

11

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #11. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 116 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

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

12

With a ranking of #12, Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. This small school is located in Moraga, California, and it awarded 13 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Saint Mary’s College of California Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

13
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #13. La Jolla, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 68 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%.

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

14
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Stockton, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

15

With a ranking of #15, Southern Oregon University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized school located in Ashland, Oregon that handed out 8 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Southern Oregon University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

16
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington

Seattle University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Seattle University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

17
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 9 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

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

18
EWU crest
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. Eastern Washington University is a fairly large school located in Cheney, Washington that handed out 14 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Eastern Washington University

19
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Fresno Pacific is located in Fresno, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

20

California State University - Fullerton ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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.

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

21

California State University - Northridge landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad 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 CSUN Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

22

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 19 students 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%. 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 - Fresno

23

California State University - Chico came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Chico State

24

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and it awarded 12 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UH Manoa

25

California State University - San Marcos ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in the Far Western US Region list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified 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%.

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

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