2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree 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.
The Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 20 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for parks and rec students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Illinois State University to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Illinois. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.
Illinois State undergraduate students pay an average of $13,968 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Illinois State is ranked #5 for overall quality for parks and rec in Illinois.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at EIU are $12,297 per year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Illinois University Report
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Out of the 20 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WIU are $13,297 a year.
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Out of the 20 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the # 4 spot on the list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. UIC is a very large public school located in the large city of Chicago.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIC are $15,603 per year.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.
UIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $17,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
UIUC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. SIUC is a large public school located in the city of Carbondale.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUC are $15,240 per year.
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North Park University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the large city of Chicago, North Park is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
North Park undergraduate students pay an average of $33,050 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Aurora University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Aurora are $26,760 a year.
Request InformationBest Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value 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
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 20 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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