2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon
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
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.
Request Information
The excellent programs at Oregon State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Oregon. Oregon State is a fairly 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.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Oregon State University
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Pacific University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list. Located in the suburb of Forest Grove, Pacific is a private not-for-profit school 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.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Pacific University Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Linfield University - McMinnville Campus. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list. Linfield is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of McMinnville.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Linfield take out is $26,000.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Willamette University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list. Willamette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Salem.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Willamette take out is $24,972.
Request Information
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.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Oregon University Report
Request Information
George Fox University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon ranking. GFU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Newberg.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from GFU carry an average student debtload of $26,500.
Request Information
Southern Oregon University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Ashland, Southern Oregon University is a public college with a moderately-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.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern Oregon University
Request InformationBest Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges 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 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Oregon
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 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.