2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 668 degrees and certificates were awarded to parks, recreation and leisure studies students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #111 most popular major in the state.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 11 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California
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 California 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.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out is $18,356. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $272.
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The excellent programs at San Jose State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in California. San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Jose.
Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at San Jose State University Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means California State University - Sacramento is a great place for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Parks & Rec majors at Sac State take out an average of $20,097 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California list. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Long Beach.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at CSULB take out is $15,750.
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The excellent programs at California State University - Chico helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in California. Chico State is a large public school located in the midsize city of Chico.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Chico State take out is $18,402.
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California State University - East Bay ranked #6 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Cal State East Bay carry an average student debtload of $15,668.
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With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fresno did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Parks & Rec majors at Fresno State take out an average of $14,007 in student loans while working on their egree.
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San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from SDSU carry an average student debtload of $17,841.
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San Francisco State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at SFSU accumulate an average of around $16,648 in student debt.
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California State University - Northridge did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Northridge, CSUN is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Request InformationBest Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 58 |
| Oregon | 41 |
| Nevada | 0 |
| Alaska | 7 |
More Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Rankings in California
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Related Rankings by Major
One of 4 majors within the area of study, parks, recreation and leisure studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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 11 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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