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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in Illinois

2 Colleges in the United States
108 Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degrees Awarded
$41,234 Avg Early-Career Salary

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best parks, recreation & leisure studies schools.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in Illinois

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies

1

Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 school for parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. About 85% of students finish within six years. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 108 parks, recreation & leisure studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, parks, recreation & leisure studies degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $41,234. Students borrow a median of $23,447 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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