2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 36 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value programs for parks and rec students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our analysis found Mt. San Antonio College to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the large suburb of Walnut, Mt. SAC is a public college with a very large student population.
Mt. SAC undergraduate students pay an average of $1,352 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Mt. SAC take out is $7,677.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend International Sports Sciences Association. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California list. ISSA is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Carpinteria.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ISSA are $10,107 per year. On average, parks and rec graduates from ISSA take out $17,163 in student loans while working on their degree.
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The excellent programs at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in California. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $10,195 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California list.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means San Jose State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Jose State are $7,852 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, San Jose State also did well on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at San Jose State University Report
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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 Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California list. Located in the city of Irvine, Concordia University, Irvine is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Concordia University, Irvine are $38,740 a year. 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.
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California State University - East Bay ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Hayward.
Cal State East Bay undergraduate students pay an average of $6,995 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Cal State East Bay take out $16,084 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $188, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fresno did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Fresno.
Fresno State undergraduate students pay an average of $6,653 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Fresno State take out is $14,029.
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California State University - Sacramento landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Sac State is a very large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,392 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, parks and rec graduates from Sac State take out $18,455 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $199, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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California State University - Fullerton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal State Fullerton are $6,976 per year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from Cal State Fullerton carry an average student debtload of $15,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $196.
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California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in California list. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at CSULB take out is $16,625.
Request InformationBest Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value 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
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.
- 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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