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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon

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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 analysis found Eastern Oregon University to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Oregon. Located in the remote 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.

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

#2

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oregon State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 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.

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

#3

Pacific University

Forest Grove, OR

The excellent programs at Pacific University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Oregon. Located in the large 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.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Linfield University - McMinnville Campus is a great place for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. 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.

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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.

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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 landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. 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 medium-sized 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.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern Oregon University

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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