Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies colleges in Illinois, ranked by graduates
25 colleges in Illinois awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies in 2023: 1,309 degrees, 3.7% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (2.9% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). University of Illinois graduated the most (271, 3.2% of its class). 8 of the 25 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 74%; the most selective is Illinois Wesleyan University at 39%.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies colleges in Illinois
Every Illinois college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois | Public | 271 | 3.2% | 42% | 1480 |
| 2 | Illinois State University | Public | 148 | 3.3% | 88% | 1220 |
| 3 | Northern Illinois University | Public | 102 | 4.2% | 70% | 1180 |
| 4 | Eastern Illinois University | Public | 89 | 8.1% | 65% | 1080 |
| 5 | Concordia University Chicago | Private | 89 | 30.6% | 93% | 1140 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University | Public | 68 | 3.8% | 87% | 1150 |
| 7 | Aurora University | Private | 64 | 5.1% | 81% | 1230 |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Public | 56 | 2.8% | 98% | 1180 |
| 9 | Saint Xavier University | Private | 45 | 6.7% | 84% | 1120 |
| 10 | McKendree University | Private | 37 | 10.4% | 72% | 1150 |
| 11 | North Central College | Private | 37 | 6.6% | 77% | 1250 |
| 12 | Elmhurst University | Private | 33 | 4.4% | 74% | 1230 |
| 13 | Olivet Nazarene University | Private | 33 | 6.3% | 56% | 1200 |
| 14 | Lewis University | Private | 32 | 3.4% | 71% | 1150 |
| 15 | Western Illinois University | Public | 28 | 2.5% | 71% | 1060 |
| 16 | North Park University | Private | 26 | 7.2% | 69% | 1230 |
| 17 | Millikin University | Private | 22 | 6.7% | 67% | 1230 |
| 18 | Loyola University Chicago | Private | 21 | 0.8% | 82% | 1330 |
| 19 | Illinois Springfield | Public | 20 | 3.4% | 86% | 1120 |
| 20 | Judson University | Private | 19 | 11.4% | 48% | 1150 |
| 21 | Quincy University | Private | 17 | 8.6% | 51% | 1150 |
| 22 | Trinity Christian College | Private | 17 | 8.3% | 85% | 1180 |
| 23 | Benedictine University | Private | 12 | 2.9% | 95% | 1230 |
| 24 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Private | 12 | 3.5% | 39% | 1300 |
| 25 | DePaul University | Private | 11 | 0.4% | 76% | 1280 |
Questions about parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies colleges in Illinois
What is the best college for parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies in Illinois?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies programs in Illinois are University of Illinois (271), Illinois State University (148), Northern Illinois University (102). "Best" depends on your profile: this page ranks every Illinois college in the field by output and shows each one's acceptance rate and admitted SAT so you can match it to your own numbers.
How many colleges in Illinois offer parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies?
25 four-year colleges in Illinois awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies in 2023, 8 public and 17 private, for 1,309 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies in Illinois?
At the 8 public universities on this list, Illinois residents are usually admitted at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants and pay in-state tuition. CollegeCalcAI applies the residency effect when you set your home state, and the per-major adjustment when you set the major.
Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies elsewhere
The same field in other states, and the national ranking.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series), joined to CollegeCalcAI's admissions dataset. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.