The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been named No. 11 of “The 25 Fittest U.S. Colleges in 2015” by The Active Times, a website that aims to be “the world’s best source of authoritative, inspiring, enlightening content for living the active, adventurous life.”
The rankings are based on a variety of health and wellness criteria along with rankings from The Princeton Review and student opinions from Niche Colleges.
The athletic facilities at Illinois were a significant factor in the rankings. In the 2014-15 academic year, the Activities and Recreation Center and Campus Recreation Center East registered more than 1.5 million visits from more than 50,000 people.
In addition to the two fitness centers, the researchers also praised the campus ice rink, outdoor field complexes and State Farm Center. Illinois was lauded for the high number of NCAA sports teams and club sports teams.
Another factor The Active Times considered was campus dining options. University Housing Dining Services sources much of its food locally, including 95 percent of all produce grown at the Sustainable Student Farm. It also provides information about nutrition through its EatSmart resource and indicates healthy options with a Better Choice icon.
The rankings also took quality of health, safety and quality of life into consideration.
In August, Illinois also was ranked No. 7 on “The 25 Healthiest Colleges in the U.S.” list by Greatist, a “fitness, health and happiness” Internet media startup founded in 2011.
