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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon

8 Colleges
$26,003 Avg Salary
$25,173 Avg Student Debt

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

With 629 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #16 most popular major in Oregon.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.

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 Oregon ranking. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Oregon to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Oregon

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

Top Oregon Schools in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

#1

Eastern Oregon University

La Grande, OR

Our 2023 rankings named Eastern Oregon University the best school in Oregon for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the town of La Grande, EOU is a public school with a small student population.

Parks & Rec majors at EOU take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#2

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Oregon State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list. Oregon State is a very large public school located in the city of Corvallis.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Oregon State take out is $24,770. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $453.

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#3

Pacific University

Forest Grove, OR

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pacific University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list. Located in the suburb of Forest Grove, Pacific is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Pacific accumulate an average of around $26,348 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $436, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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The excellent programs at Linfield University - McMinnville Campus helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Oregon. Linfield is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of McMinnville.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Linfield take out is $26,000.

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Out of the 8 schools in Oregon that were part of this year’s ranking, Willamette University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Willamette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Salem.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Willamette take out is $24,972.

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Western Oregon University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list. Western Oregon State College is a small public school located in the town of Monmouth.

While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Western Oregon State College accumulate an average of around $25,000 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 $161.

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#7

George Fox University

Newberg, OR

George Fox 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. GFU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Newberg.

After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from GFU carry an average student debtload of $26,500.

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Southern Oregon University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list. Located in the midsize suburb of Ashland, Southern Oregon University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Southern Oregon University take out is $24,172. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $255, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern Oregon University Report

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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
California 11,237
Washington 673
Hawaii 171
Nevada 273
Alaska 35

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 8 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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