Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

22 Ranked Colleges
2,352 Degrees Awarded
$24,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools 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. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 72,122 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

This year’s “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 22 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

20643195832731020859239032131020585233632075321819271092075824408223622563724111258332834524090293304346529021

Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

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

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

#1

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of St Francis landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $17,538 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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 Saint Francis Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#2

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Quincy University landed the #2 spot on the list. Quincy University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Quincy, Illinois. It awarded 21 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Quincy U also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $17,497 for Illinois Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Quincy U.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 334 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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

#4

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Monmouth College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Monmouth College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Monmouth, Illinois. It awarded 23 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Monmouth also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Monmouth is $17,061 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 167 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 138 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Illinois Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 154 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#9

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #9. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 343 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 118 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#11

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 240 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $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%.

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

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 157 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. TIU Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 12 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, TIU Illinois has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TIU Illinois is $21,204 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Aurora is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $17,215 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $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%.

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

#15

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,331 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Millikin University.

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.

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

#16

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This small school is located in Lebanon, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree University is $19,844 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 30 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $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%.

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

#18

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

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

#19

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Lewis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 31 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.

Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lewis is $18,664 for Illinois Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lewis

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #20. North Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $24,786 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend North Central.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

#21

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 39 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $24,664 for illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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, & Fitness Studies at Northwestern

#22

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois

Benedictine University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Lisle, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois parks & rec students whose families make more than $110k list, Benedictine U has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Benedictine U is $25,143 for Illinois Parks & Rec students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Benedictine U

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Athletic Training Schools

Find Schools Near You