2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies School for You
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the #17 most popular major in Illinois with 2,396 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 17 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for parks and rec majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
Our analysis found University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to be the best school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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 $307.
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Out of the 17 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Illinois State take out $23,124 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $230.
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The excellent programs at North Central College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Illinois. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Naperville.
On average, parks and rec graduates from North Central take out $26,146 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $374.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Monmouth College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois list. Located in the town of Monmouth, Monmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Monmouth accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $316, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Out of the 17 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the # 5 spot on the list. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Chicago.
After completing their degree, parks and rec graduates from UIC carry an average student debtload of $18,431. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $179, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Quincy University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Quincy U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Quincy.
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Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. Concordia University, Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest.
While working on their degree, parks and rec majors at Concordia University, Chicago accumulate an average of around $26,250 in student debt.
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Eastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at EIU take out is $25,626. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $263, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Northern Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.
The average amount in student loans that parks and rec majors at NIU take out is $27,126. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $216, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Aurora University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois ranking. Aurora is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.
On average, parks and rec graduates from Aurora take out $29,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Request InformationBest Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 1,818 |
| Michigan | 2,279 |
| Ohio | 2,647 |
| Wisconsin | 1,001 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in Illinois
Rankings in Majors Related to Parks & Rec
Parks & Rec Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 67,146 |
| Recreation Administration | 3,122 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 3,106 |
| Outdoor Education | 265 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 174 |
Majors Similar to Parks & Rec
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting | 142,610 |
| Public Administration & Social Service | 98,583 |
| Legal Professions | 61,055 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 4,477 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 17 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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