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

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

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

8 Colleges
$27,546 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$26,003 Avg Salary

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.

The Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Oregon to see which programs offered the best value experiences for parks and rec students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

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

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

Best Oregon Schools for Affordable Quality in Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness

#1

Eastern Oregon University

La Grande, OR
$9,696 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Eastern Oregon University to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Oregon. Located in the town of La Grande, EOU is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at EOU are $9,696 per year. Parks & Rec majors at EOU take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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$10,269 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 8 schools in Oregon that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Oregon University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Western Oregon State College is a small public school located in the town of Monmouth.

Western Oregon State College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,269 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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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#3

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR
$12,188 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Oregon State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Oregon State is a very large public school located in the city of Corvallis.

Oregon State undergraduate students pay an average of $12,188 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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

$9,357 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Southern Oregon University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the midsize suburb of Ashland, Southern Oregon University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Southern Oregon University are $9,357 a year. 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

$44,234 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Willamette University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Oregon. Willamette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Salem.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Willamette are $44,234 a year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Willamette take out is $24,972.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Willamette University Report

$46,032 Average Tuition & Fees

Linfield University - McMinnville Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Linfield is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of McMinnville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Linfield are $46,032 per year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at Linfield take out is $26,000.

Linfield not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Linfield University - McMinnville Campus Report

#7

Pacific University

Forest Grove, OR
$50,070 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Pacific University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the suburb of Forest Grove, Pacific is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pacific are $50,070 per year. 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.

Pacific not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Oregon list.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Pacific University Report

#8

George Fox University

Newberg, OR
$38,520 Average Tuition & Fees

George Fox University 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 #8 on the list. GFU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Newberg.

GFU undergraduate students pay an average of $38,520 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from GFU carry an average student debtload of $26,500.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at George Fox University Report

Best 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
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.

  • 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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