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2026 Best Value Recreation Administration Schools in Illinois

[Recreation Administration](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/recreation-administration/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong recreation administration education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for recreation administration students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Recreation Administration Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value Recreation Administration Schools in Illinois

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the recreation administration degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Recreation Administration Schools

1

Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL

$14,572 In-State Tuition & Fees

$29,000 Avg Student Debt

$54,163 Median Earnings (10yr)

Western Illinois University tops our 2026 list of the best value recreation administration schools in Illinois. Located in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,572. Recreation Administration graduates carry a median of $29,000 in student loans. Early-career recreation administration graduates make about $34,131. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 71%.

2

Illinois State University
Normal, IL

$14,410 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,000 Avg Student Debt

$62,117 Median Earnings (10yr)

Illinois State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in recreation administration, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,410 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $26,058. Typical student debt for recreation administration graduates is $22,000. Early-career recreation administration graduates make about $39,104. Set against $22,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.

View All Recreation Administration Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked 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 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.