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Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois

2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

4 Colleges
$24,269 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$35,875 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School for You

With 196 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation and leisure studies is the #117 most popular major in Illinois.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 4 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best value experiences for parks and rec students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Best Illinois Schools for Affordable Quality in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies

$17,634 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the best value school in Illinois for parks, recreation and leisure studies students. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIUC are $17,634 a year. While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $20,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $226.

UIUC also made our Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois list, coming in at #3.

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

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$15,240 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois list. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUC are $15,240 a year. After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from SIUC carry an average student debtload of $20,864.

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

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#3

Aurora University

Aurora, IL
$26,760 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Aurora University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois list. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Aurora.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Aurora are $26,760 per year.

Full Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies at Aurora University Report

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#4

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL
$37,440 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Olivet Nazarene University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation and leisure studies schools in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Olivet Nazarene are $37,440 a year.

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Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 16
Ohio 101
Indiana 161

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is one of 4 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Physical Education 67,146
Recreation Administration 3,122
Outdoor Education 265
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 174

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 4 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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.

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