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2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

21 Ranked Colleges
1,555 Degrees Awarded
$23,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $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 Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k.

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

#1

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of St Francis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Joliet, 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 6 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

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

#2

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Quincy University landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Quincy, Illinois, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Quincy U, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Quincy U.

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

#3

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 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 estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 160 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, UIC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

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

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 278 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students 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. It costs about $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#6

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Monmouth College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Monmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Monmouth, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Monmouth also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth is $17,061 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Monmouth College

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #7. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed 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 $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#11 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 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 yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SIUC.

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

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #10. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 162 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Illinois State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s 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. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#12

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

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

#13 in overall quality

Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #13. Trinity International University - Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Deerfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TIU Illinois, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity International University - Illinois is $21,204 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $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.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Trinity International University - Illinois

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Aurora University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $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%.

Full Aurora Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#15

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Millikin University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Millikin University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#16

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, McKendree University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree also took the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $19,844 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full McKendree Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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 University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#18

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#19

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Lewis University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Lewis is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Lewis University.

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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lewis

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 55 degrees 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 more than $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 yearly cost to attend North Central is $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Central College

#21

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Benedictine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. 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 also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine U is $25,143 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Benedictine U Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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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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