2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Illinois
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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” 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” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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 Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois.
Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Illinois
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 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 per year to attend Illinois State University.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 278 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Full UIUC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full Eastern Illinois University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Full SIUE Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 160 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, UIC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
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%.
Western Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, WIU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Western Illinois University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Illinois University
Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 62 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students 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. It costs about $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at NIU
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, SIUC has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SIUC
Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. 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 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. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
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%.
Full Aurora Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
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 St Francis Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Quincy University is located in Quincy, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Quincy U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Quincy U.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Quincy U
With a ranking of #12, Benedictine University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. 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 yearly cost to attend Benedictine University is $25,143 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
Full Benedictine U Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Trinity International University - Illinois landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Deerfield, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
TIU Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,204 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend TIU Illinois.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Concordia University, Chicago landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students 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 $16,512 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
Full Concordia University, Chicago Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, McKendree University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. McKendree is a small school located in Lebanon, Illinois that handed out 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
McKendree did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,844 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend McKendree.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at McKendree University
Lewis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #16. Lewis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Romeoville, Illinois. It awarded 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
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 University is $18,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.
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%.
Full Lewis Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Bourbonnais, 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 30 students in 2019-2020.
Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students 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
Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #18. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students list, Elmhurst has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students.
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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Elmhurst
With a ranking of #19, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Monmouth, 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 23 students in 2019-2020.
Monmouth also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,061 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Monmouth.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Monmouth
North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #20. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 55 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #6 spot 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.
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 more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Central College
Millikin University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Parks & Rec students per year to attend Millikin University.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Millikin 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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
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