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Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region

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2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region

15 Colleges
$33,514 Avg Salary
$19,115 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School for You

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the #169 most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for parks and rec majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools

Our 2023 rankings named California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo the best school in the Far Western US Region for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $18,356. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $272.

Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Washington University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the fringe town of Cheney, EWU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Eastern Washington University

The excellent programs at San Jose State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in the Far Western US Region . San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Jose.

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

Out of the 15 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Sac State take out $20,097 in student loans while working on their degree.

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

Out of the 15 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the # 5 spot on the list. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from CSULB carry an average student debtload of $15,750.

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California State University - Chico landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. Chico State is a large public school located in the city of Chico.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Chico State carry an average student debtload of $18,402.

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California State University - East Bay came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Cal State East Bay accumulate an average of around $15,668 in student debt.

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

California State University - Fresno landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation and leisure studies programs. Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public school with a very large student population.

On average, parks and rec graduates from Fresno State take out $14,007 in student loans while working on their degree.

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

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

With a ranking of #9, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at SDSU accumulate an average of around $17,841 in student debt.

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

#10

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA

With a ranking of #10, Western Washington University did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. WWU is a large public school located in the city of Bellingham.

On average, parks and rec graduates from WWU take out $19,450 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $319, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Western Washington University

Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.

State Degrees Awarded
California 668
Washington 58
Oregon 41
Nevada 0
Alaska 7

More Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Rankings in the Far Western US Region

One of 4 majors within the area of study, parks, recreation and leisure studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 67,146
Recreation Administration 3,122
Outdoor Education 265
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 174

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 15 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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