2024 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #13 most popular bachelor's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
College Factual reviewed 20 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,560 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree
Your choice of parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality parks & rec program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
Overall Quality Is a Must
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Early-Career Salaries
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students want to attend this school to pursue a bachelor's degree.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies to pay back their student loans after receiving their bachelor's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois.
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.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Illinois
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies.
10 Top Illinois Schools for a Bachelor's in Parks & Rec
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
259
Annual Graduates
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
92
Annual Graduates
Concordia University, Chicago is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of River Forest.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Concordia University, Chicago
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
146
Annual Graduates
University of Illinois at Chicago is a wonderful option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. UIC is a very large public university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from University of Illinois at Chicago
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
156
Annual Graduates
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies needs to look into Illinois State University. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Illinois State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
49
Annual Graduates
Located in the midsize city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from North Central College
Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Elmhurst.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Elmhurst University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
71
Annual Graduates
NIU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Dekalb.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Northern Illinois University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
98
Annual Graduates
Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
69
Annual Graduates
Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Aurora University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
71
Annual Graduates
WIU is a medium-sized public university located in the remote town of Macomb.More information about a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies from Western Illinois University