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

27 Ranked Colleges
1,094 Degrees Awarded
$43,911 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master'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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,094 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking analyzed 27 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

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

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Concordia University, Irvine. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. Concordia University, Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 405 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Concordia University, Irvine Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

2
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Baptist University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California 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%.

Full California Baptist University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

3
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 #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. Point Loma Nazarene University is located in San Diego, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

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%.

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

4
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of San Francisco. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. USFCA is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 97 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at USFCA

5
William Jessup University crest
William Jessup University
Rocklin, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William Jessup University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California. William Jessup University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rocklin, California. It awarded 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6

California State University - Long Beach landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. 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

7

Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Located in Moraga, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students 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 SMC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

8
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 68 masters’s parks and rec degrees 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 National University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

9
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

University of the Pacific ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. University of the Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of the Pacific

10
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

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

11
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. This small school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 5 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad 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 Fresno Pacific University

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 37 masters’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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

13

California State University - Northridge landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 masters’s degrees 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%.

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

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 19 masters’s parks and rec degrees 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Fresno State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

15

California State University - Chico came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 14 students 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%.

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

16

With a ranking of #16, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 10 students 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

17
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #17, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 San Jose State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Francisco State University

19

California State University - East Bay came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

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

20

California State University - Sacramento landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 8 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, 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 - Sacramento

21
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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 San Diego State University

22

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

23

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

24
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #24, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Southern California

25

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 2 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 94%.

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

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