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2023 Best Sports Studies Colleges for Veterans

20 Ranked Colleges
614 Degrees Awarded
$28,800 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Sports Studies is the 557th most popular major in the country with 614 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sports studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great sports 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 sports studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Sports Studies Schools

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The sports studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies

The colleges and universities below are the best for vets studying sports studies.

Top 20 Best Sports Studies Colleges for Veterans

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #1 spot on the list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sports studies degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

Iowa also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 30,318 students enrolled at Iowa, 1 are 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 88%. 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%.

Full Iowa Veteran Student Life Report

2
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Carolina University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. East Carolina University is a public institution located in Greenville, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

ECU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 28,798 students enrolled at ECU, 8 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,409. 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.

Full ECU Veteran Student Life Report

3
Springfield College crest
Springfield College
Springfield, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Springfield College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s sports studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Springfield College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,068 students enrolled at Springfield College, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

4
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend SUNY Cortland. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies. SUNY Cortland is a public institution located in Cortland, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY Cortland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 78 of the 6,832 students enrolled at SUNY Cortland were GI Bill® students, of which 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,971. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

5
John Carroll crest
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend John Carroll University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies. John Carroll University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in University Heights, Ohio. It awarded 19 ’s sports studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying sports studies list, John Carroll has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, John Carroll University supports 3,278 students, and 31 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 20 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,539. On top of their other funding sources, 9 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. John Carroll University 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…

6

United States Sports Academy landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies ranking. The Academy is located in Daphne, Alabama and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s sports studies degrees to qualified students.

The Academy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 338 students enrolled at United States Sports Academy, 47 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 36 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,163. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

[Read full report on veteran student life at The Academy]](/colleges/united-states-sports-academy/student-life/veterans/)

7

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies ranking. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 11 ’s sports studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 14,761 students enrolled at Minnesota State Mankato, 331 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 147 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,814. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 More…

8
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies ranking. WKU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Kentucky that handed out 58 ’s sports studies degrees in 2020-2021.

WKU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 17,517 students enrolled at Western Kentucky University, 847 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 345 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,743. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Western Kentucky University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Western Kentucky University]](/colleges/western-kentucky-university/student-life/veterans/)

9
Methodist crest
Methodist University
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Methodist University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. Methodist University is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s sports studies degrees to qualified students.

Methodist also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,773 students enrolled at Methodist University, 498 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 305 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,063. On top of their other funding sources, 128 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 More…

10
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sports studies degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at National University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 18,070 students enrolled at National University 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. National 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at National University]](/colleges/national-university/student-life/veterans/)

11
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #11, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s sports studies degrees to qualified students.

Ball State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 21,597 students enrolled at Ball State University, 455 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 182 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,124. During this same period, 29 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ball State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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 Ball State University]](/colleges/ball-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

12
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Shenandoah University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winchester, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Shenandoah not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 222 of the 4,174 students enrolled at Shenandoah University were GI Bill® students, of which 133 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,576. During this same period, 36 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Shenandoah 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Shenandoah Veteran Student Life Report

13

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies ranking, coming in at #13. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sports studies degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying sports studies list, UMass Boston has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UMass Boston supports 16,259 students, and 678 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 362 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,414. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Massachusetts - Boston]](/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-boston/student-life/veterans/)

14

Texas Southern University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. Texas Southern University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 5 ’s sports studies degrees in 2020-2021.

TSU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 7,015 students enrolled at Texas Southern University, 441 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 179 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,426. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas Southern University]](/colleges/texas-southern-university/student-life/veterans/)

15

Concordia University, Saint Paul ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 2 ’s sports studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Saint Paul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 5,585 students enrolled at Concordia University, Saint Paul, 196 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,143. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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…

16
Adams State crest
Adams State University
Alamosa, Colorado

Adams State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies ranking. Located in Alamosa, Colorado, this small public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s sports studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Adams State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 142 of the 3,164 students enrolled at Adams State were GI Bill® students, of which 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,465. 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.

Full Adams State Veteran Student Life Report

17
Barry University crest
Barry University
Miami, Florida

Barry University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies ranking, coming in at #17. Barry University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 2 ’s sports studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying sports studies list, Barry University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 22 of the 7,515 students enrolled at Barry University were GI Bill® students, of which 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,141. On top of their other funding sources, 12 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Barry University]](/colleges/barry-university/student-life/veterans/)

18
Randolph crest
Randolph College
Lynchburg, Virginia

Randolph College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies ranking. Randolph is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Randolph, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 566 students enrolled at Randolph, 28 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,416. To help with additional expenses, 10 students received scholarships 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Randolph College Veteran Student Life Report

19
STAC crest
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Sparkill, New York

With a ranking of #19, St. Thomas Aquinas College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies list. Located in Sparkill, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s sports studies students in 2020-2021.

STAC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, STAC supports 1,779 students, and 20 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 12 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,384. During this same period, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Full St. Thomas Aquinas College Veteran Student Life Report

20
Manhattanville crest
Manhattanville College
Purchase, New York

Manhattanville College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Sports Studies ranking. Purchase, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sports studies degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

Manhattanville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 2,408 students enrolled at Manhattanville, 20 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,570. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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%. 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 Manhattanville]](/colleges/manhattanville-college/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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