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

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

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

6 Colleges
$22,589 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$34,351 Avg Salary

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

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #21 most popular major in Washington with 673 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Washington to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 6 schools in Washington 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.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.

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

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

Check out the parks and rec programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

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

$7,922 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Eastern Washington University to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Washington. Located in the fringe town of Cheney, EWU is a public college with a large student population.

EWU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,922 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Parks & Rec majors at EWU take out an average of $19,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Washington University

$8,685 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Washington University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Washington list. Located in the distant town of Ellensburg, CWU is a public college with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CWU are $8,685 per year. Parks & Rec majors at CWU take out an average of $22,013 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $210, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Central Washington University

$8,703 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Western Washington University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. WWU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Bellingham.

WWU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,703 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at WWU take out is $19,975. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $250, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Washington University Report

$12,417 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Washington State University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Wazzu is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Pullman.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wazzu are $12,417 per year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Wazzu accumulate an average of around $23,750 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $456.

In addition to its great value ranking, Wazzu is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Washington list.

Read More…

#5

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA
$48,470 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Gonzaga University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Washington list. Located in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Gonzaga are $48,470 a year.

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

Read More…

#6

Seattle University

Seattle, WA
$49,335 Average Tuition & Fees

Seattle University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Washington ranking. Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle U is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Seattle U are $49,335 per year. Parks & Rec majors at Seattle U take out an average of $24,750 in student loans while working on their egree.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Seattle U also is in the top 20% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Washington ranking.

Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Seattle 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 Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
California 11,237
Oregon 629
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

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 6 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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