2026 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in Illinois
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 school for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. About 85% of students finish within six years. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 108 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $41,234. Students borrow a median of $23,447 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.
- 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
