2026 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management Schools in Illinois

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their parks, recreation & leisure facilities management programs.

College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best parks, recreation & leisure facilities management schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management Schools in Illinois

Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management in Illinois

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the parks, recreation & leisure facilities management degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management

1

Illinois State University
Normal, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

54 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management Degrees Awarded

$39,104 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Illinois State University, our #1 school for parks, recreation & leisure facilities management. Illinois State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal. Illinois State University graduates 64% of students within six years. There were roughly 54 parks, recreation & leisure facilities management students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the parks, recreation & leisure facilities management program make about $39,104 in their early career. Illinois State University graduates carry a median of $22,000 in student loans. See the full parks, recreation & leisure facilities management program report for Illinois State University

2

Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

24 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Facilities Management Degrees Awarded

$34,131 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes Western Illinois University one of the top schools for parks, recreation & leisure facilities management. Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Macomb. Western Illinois University graduates 45% of students within six years. Western Illinois University awarded about 24 parks, recreation & leisure facilities management degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure facilities management degree recipients from Western Illinois University generally make around $34,131. Typical student debt for the program is $29,000. More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure facilities management from Western Illinois University

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.