College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois

3 Ranked Colleges
196 Degrees Awarded
$16,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 218th most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across Illinois, there were 196 parks, recreation & leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation & leisure studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation & leisure studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation & leisure studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in Illinois

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2024 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 142 ’s parks & rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for illinois parks & rec students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #2 spot on the list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 44 ’s parks & rec degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,285 for Illinois Parks & Rec students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

3
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Olivet Nazarene University. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois list. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s parks & rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois parks & rec students list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $19,470 for Illinois Parks & Rec students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Olivet Nazarene

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options