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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois

37 Ranked Colleges
1,522 Degrees Awarded
$30,056 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2021-2022, 72,741 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In , parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $31,466 and had an average of $24,117 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,341 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,368 and $23,353 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,522 parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,374 and $23,086 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois” ranking analyzed 37 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their parks, recreation, leisure, & fitness studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree parks & rec students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies in Illinois

1
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Monmouth College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois. Monmouth is located in Monmouth, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Monmouth College

2
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eureka College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois. Eureka College is a small school located in Eureka, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Eureka College

3
Greenville crest
Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Greenville University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. Greenville is a small school located in Greenville, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Greenville University

4
Quincy U crest
Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois

Out of the 37 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Quincy University landed the #4 spot on the list. Quincy U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Quincy, Illinois. It awarded 24 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Quincy University

5
Lincoln College crest
Lincoln College
Lincoln, Illinois

Out of the 37 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Lincoln College landed the #5 spot on the list.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Lincoln College

6
Judson crest
Judson University
Elgin, Illinois

Judson University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Elgin, Illinois, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Judson University

7
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 North Central

8
Trinity Christian crest
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Palos Heights, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Trinity Christian Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

9
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 93 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Concordia University, Chicago

10
McKendree crest
McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking. McKendree is a small school located in Lebanon, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at McKendree University

11
Rockford crest
Rockford University
Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Rockford, Illinois, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full Rockford Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

11

Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Deerfield, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at TIU Illinois

13
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full EIU Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

14
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 10 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Millikin Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

15

With a ranking of #15, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at WIU

16
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Aurora University

17

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 59 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SIUC Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

18

With a ranking of #18, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 147 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois State University

19
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 37 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Elmhurst University

20
SXU crest
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at SXU

21
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

22
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks & rec students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Illinois Wesleyan University

23

With a ranking of #23, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 SIUE

24
Illinois College crest
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #24. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks & rec degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Illinois College

25
North Park crest
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois

North Park University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Parks & Rec Major in Illinois list. North Park is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 34 bachelors’s parks & rec degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Park University Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Report

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