2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s
18
Ranked Colleges
1,560
Degrees Awarded
$30,056
Avg Salary
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 2,442 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,264 and $24,988 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,560 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec.
Top 18 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
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 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 259 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, SIUC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Illinois State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State University, 530 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Illinois State Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 146 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 33,518 students enrolled at UIC were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,878. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of Illinois at Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 66 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SIUE offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/student-life/veterans/)
Western Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
WIU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU, 330 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
North Central College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
North Central also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6.According to our most recent data, North Central College supports 2,832 students, and 46 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 32 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,214. To help with additional expenses, 15 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full North Central Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #8, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora University were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,999. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Aurora Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #9, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 79 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
EIU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9.Our most recent data shows that 184 of the 8,626 students enrolled at Eastern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,730. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eastern Illinois University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #10, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. University of Saint Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 3,529 students enrolled at University of St Francis, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,734. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of St Francis offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Northern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.
NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 480 of the 16,769 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
[Read full report on veteran student life at NIU]](/colleges/northern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)
Elmhurst University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Elmhurst has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 77 of the 3,421 students enrolled at Elmhurst University were GI Bill® students, of which 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,985. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Elmhurst University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Elmhurst University Veteran Student Life Report
Monmouth College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Monmouth College is located in Monmouth, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Monmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 860 students enrolled at Monmouth College, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,477. During this same period, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read More…
With a ranking of #14, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 57 of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University were GI Bill® students, of which 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,334. During this same period, 11 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. TIU Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Deerfield, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
TIU Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 1,454 students enrolled at Trinity International University - Illinois, 14 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,061. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full TIU Illinois Veteran Student Life Report
Quincy University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Quincy U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 1,273 students enrolled at Quincy U, 13 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,744. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Quincy U Veteran Student Life Report
Millikin University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Millikin supports 1,982 students, and 24 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 20 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,013. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Millikin]](/colleges/millikin-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 92 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Concordia University, Chicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 6,491 students enrolled at Concordia University, Chicago, 134 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 96 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,085. During this same period, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Concordia University, Chicago Veteran Student Life Report
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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.
Credits
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