2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California
19
Ranked Colleges
1,094
Degrees Awarded
$43,911
Avg Salary
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs as well as strong veteran support.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree vets studying parks & rec.
Top 19 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 822 of the 40,069 students enrolled at California State University - Long Beach were GI Bill® students, of which 310 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,845. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 - Long Beach Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Point Loma Nazarene University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. PLNU 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.
PLNU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 4,616 students enrolled at Point Loma Nazarene University, 334 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 219 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,825. To help with additional expenses, 76 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Point Loma Nazarene University]](/colleges/point-loma-nazarene-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, SDSU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 36,334 students enrolled at SDSU, 1,433 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,806. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 89%.
Full San Diego State University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of San Francisco. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. University of San Francisco is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 97 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Our most recent data shows that 6 of the 10,068 students enrolled at University of San Francisco were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,232. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of San Francisco Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - San Marcos. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 10 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.According to our most recent data, California State University - San Marcos supports 16,367 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,056. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - San Marcos offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at California State University - San Marcos]](/colleges/california-state-university-san-marcos/student-life/veterans/)
National University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 68 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
National University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Among the 18,070 students enrolled at National University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
California Baptist University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 129 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 11,317 students enrolled at California Baptist University, 532 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 390 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,716. In addition to receiving other benefits, 162 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Baptist University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #8, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Among the 36,208 students enrolled at San Jose State University, 660 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 384 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,909. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. San Jose State University offers credit for military training for eligible 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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Chico ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 16,746 students enrolled at California State University - Chico, 354 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 166 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,098. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - Chico does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Veteran Student Life Report
Concordia University, Irvine landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 405 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 4,071 students enrolled at Concordia University, Irvine, 113 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 82 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,273. During this same period, 12 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Concordia University, Irvine]](/colleges/concordia-university-irvine/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #11, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 36 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Our most recent data shows that 680 of the 40,381 students enrolled at California State University - Northridge were GI Bill® students, of which 336 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,745. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
San Francisco State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12.Among the 27,349 students enrolled at SFSU, 950 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 536 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,581. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Francisco State University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 8 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
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 Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 34 of the 32,293 students enrolled at California State University - Sacramento were GI Bill® students, of which 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,555. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 748 of the 42,051 students enrolled at Cal State Fullerton were GI Bill® students, of which 342 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,729. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 25,497 students enrolled at California State University - Fresno, 471 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 211 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,324. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
University of the Pacific came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. University of the Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 13 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pacific, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 6,263 students enrolled at University of the Pacific, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $21,238. To help with additional expenses, 5 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of the Pacific does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
Humboldt State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19.Of the 6,612 students enrolled at Humboldt State University, 177 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,772. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Humboldt State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Humboldt State University Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 5 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18.According to our most recent data, California State University - East Bay supports 16,253 students, and 32 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 16 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,956. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - East Bay offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Fresno Pacific University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 5 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Fresno Pacific has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 3,995 students enrolled at Fresno Pacific, 147 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,982. During this same period, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Fresno Pacific University]](/colleges/fresno-pacific-university/student-life/veterans/)
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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.
Credits
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