2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 72,122 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,823 and had an average of $24,576 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 2,352 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,766 and $23,636 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Illinois (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 334 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 167 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois parks & rec students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for illinois parks & rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UIC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 138 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
Full EIU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 154 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for illinois parks & rec students with aid.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 87 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northern Illinois University
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at University of Saint Francis
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 118 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois parks & rec students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for illinois parks & rec students with aid per year to attend SIUC.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Western Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 157 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Western Illinois University
Monmouth College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 23 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Monmouth, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Monmouth is $17,061 for illinois parks & rec students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Monmouth Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Illinois State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 240 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University
With a ranking of #11, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 343 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois parks & rec students with aid list, Concordia University, Chicago has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Chicago
Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Quincy U, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,497 for illinois parks & rec students with aid per year to attend Quincy U.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Quincy U
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2019-2020.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Northwestern University
With a ranking of #14, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Aurora also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Aurora.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Aurora Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 24 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $21,331 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Millikin University
Elmhurst University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois parks & rec students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Elmhurst
Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Deerfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
TIU Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,204 for illinois parks & rec students with aid per year to attend TIU Illinois.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #18, Lewis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Lewis also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis University is $18,664 for illinois parks & rec students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lewis
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Olivet Nazarene University
McKendree University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 28 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
McKendree also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $19,844 for illinois parks & rec students with aid per year to attend McKendree.
Full McKendree Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report
North Central College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois parks & rec students with aid list, North Central has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,786 for illinois parks & rec students with aid per year to attend North Central College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Central College
Benedictine University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Parks & Rec Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Benedictine University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lisle, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2019-2020.
Benedictine U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,143 for Illinois Parks & Rec students with aid per year to attend Benedictine U.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Benedictine U
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Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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