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 fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Illinois State are $13,968 a year.
Illinois State also took the #5 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois rankings.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University Report
Request Information
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Eastern Illinois University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at EIU are $12,297 per year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eastern Illinois University
Request Information
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 town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WIU are $13,297 a year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Illinois University
Request Information
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Northern Illinois University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Illinois. NIU is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NIU are $14,738 a year.
Request Information
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Illinois at Chicago helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Illinois. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Chicago.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIC are $15,603 per year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago Report
Request Information
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 small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per 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.
Request Information
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUE are $11,496 a year.
Request Information
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. SIUC is a large public school located in the city of Carbondale.
SIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $15,240 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report
Request Information
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 college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at North Park are $33,050 a year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Park University Report
Request Information
Aurora University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Aurora is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Aurora.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Aurora are $26,760 a year.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Aurora University
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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.