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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

21 Ranked Colleges
1,555 Degrees Awarded
$21,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 72,122 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,352 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,766 and $23,636 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,555 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 278 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $21,998 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

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

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 62 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $21,425 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at NIU

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 160 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $20,270 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at UIC

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $19,147 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#5

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Monmouth College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Monmouth, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Monmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,081 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Monmouth College.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Monmouth College

#11 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 89 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $18,928 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#9 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $20,698 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#8

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,629 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of St Francis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Saint Francis Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#9

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, Concordia University, Chicago has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,820 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Chicago

#10

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. Quincy University is a small school located in Quincy, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Quincy U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Quincy U is $18,515 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Quincy University

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,181 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend WIU.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Illinois University

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 162 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $25,379 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#13

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Millikin University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $23,486 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

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

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Aurora University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,609 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Aurora University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Aurora

#15

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

McKendree University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

McKendree not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $23,434 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at McKendree

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $23,604 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,306 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#18

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Lewis University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Lewis also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis is $21,123 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#13 in overall quality

Trinity International University - Illinois landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Deerfield, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, TIU Illinois has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TIU Illinois is $23,684 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full TIU Illinois Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

North Central College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k list, North Central has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $25,778 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Central

#21

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Benedictine University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Benedictine University is a small school located in Lisle, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Benedictine U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine U is $27,007 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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