2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #14 most popular major in California with 11,237 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 36 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness 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, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named International Sports Sciences Association the best school in California for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. ISSA is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Carpinteria.
On average, parks and rec graduates from ISSA take out $17,163 in student loans while working on their degree.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo accumulate an average of around $17,428 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $299.
Out of the 36 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Westmont College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Westmont carry an average student debtload of $25,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $583, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Westmont College Report
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 California list. Located in the city of Irvine, Concordia University, Irvine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Concordia University, Irvine take out is $26,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $602.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Irvine
Southern California Health Institute came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California ranking. SOCHI is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Reseda.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at SOCHI accumulate an average of around $9,500 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $56.
San Jose 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 #7 on the list. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University Report
With a ranking of #8, University of San Francisco did quite well on this year’s best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. USFCA is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from USFCA carry an average student debtload of $25,000.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of San Francisco Report
Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the city of San Diego, PLNU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Point Loma Nazarene University Report
University of the Pacific ranked #10 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California list. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Stockton.
Parks & Rec majors at Pacific take out an average of $23,179 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $637.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of the Pacific
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 673 |
| Oregon | 629 |
| Hawaii | 171 |
| Nevada | 273 |
| Alaska | 35 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Parks & Rec
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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