2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 17 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value 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 Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Illinois State University the best value school in Illinois for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.
Illinois State undergraduate students pay an average of $13,968 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.
Illinois State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois list.
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The excellent programs at Concordia University, Chicago helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Illinois. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Concordia University, Chicago are $34,310 a year. 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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The excellent programs at Eastern Illinois University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in Illinois. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at EIU are $12,297 a year. 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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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. 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. On average, parks and rec graduates from SIUE take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $277, 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 Urbana-Champaign landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per 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 $307.
UIUC also took the #3 spot in our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois rankings.
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With a ranking of #6, Western Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WIU are $13,297 a year. Parks & Rec majors at WIU take out an average of $30,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $375.
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Northern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIU are $14,738 per year. 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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University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Chicago.
UIC undergraduate students pay an average of $15,603 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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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With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the 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 $22,932. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $157, 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 Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Schools in Illinois ranking. 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. On average, parks and rec graduates from Aurora take out $29,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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 17 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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