2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Far Western US Region
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #15 most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This report analyzed 55 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness 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, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named International Sports Sciences Association the best school in the Far Western US Region for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the suburb of Carpinteria, ISSA is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Parks & Rec majors at ISSA take out an average of $17,163 in student loans while working on their egree.
Out of the 55 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the # 2 spot on the list. 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 $17,428. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $299.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Westmont College is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, Westmont is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Westmont take out is $25,500. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $583.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Concordia University, Irvine. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Concordia University, Irvine take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $602.
Southern California Health Institute landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large city of Reseda, SOCHI is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from SOCHI carry an average student debtload of $9,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $56, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern California Health Institute Report
University of Puget Sound landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Puget Sound is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Tacoma.
Parks & Rec majors at Puget Sound take out an average of $23,414 in student loans while working on their egree.
San Jose State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Jose.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University
Eastern Washington University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the town of Cheney, EWU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at EWU take out is $19,000.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Washington University Report
Washington State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Wazzu is a fairly large public school located in the town of Pullman.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Wazzu take out $23,750 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $456, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Washington State University
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 11,237 |
| Washington | 673 |
| Oregon | 629 |
| Hawaii | 171 |
| Nevada | 273 |
| Alaska | 35 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in the Far Western US Region
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Related Rankings by Major
Parks & Rec Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 67,146 |
| Recreation Administration | 3,122 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 3,106 |
| Outdoor Education | 265 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 174 |
Majors Similar to Parks & Rec
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting | 142,610 |
| Public Administration & Social Service | 98,583 |
| Legal Professions | 61,055 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 4,477 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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