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2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region

15 Ranked Colleges
489 Degrees Awarded
$24,100 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor's

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 218th most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Southeast region, there were 568 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 489 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,400 and $27,180 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation and leisure studies programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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The parks & rec 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 in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec.

Top 15 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region

1
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arkansas. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this large public school awarded 77 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

UARK also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1.Of the 27,562 students enrolled at University of Arkansas, 11 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,975. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Arkansas does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of Arkansas]](/colleges/university-of-arkansas/student-life/veterans/)

2
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

Out of the 15 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, East Carolina University landed the #2 spot on the list. ECU is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 33 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

ECU also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,409. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. ECU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at East Carolina University]](/colleges/east-carolina-university/student-life/veterans/)

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 64 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

UNC Greensboro not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Of the 19,764 students enrolled at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 885 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 329 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,723. To help with additional expenses, 14 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Veteran Student Life Report

4
Southern Miss crest
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Out of the 15 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern Mississippi landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Southern Mississippi is a fairly large school located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that handed out 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Southern Miss also took the #8 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Among the 14,606 students enrolled at Southern Miss, 351 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 226 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,605. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Miss does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

5
GaSou crest
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Southern University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. GaSou is a large school located in Statesboro, Georgia that handed out 51 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

GaSou also took the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Georgia Southern University supports 26,949 students, and 1,102 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 406 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,665. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

6
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

With a ranking of #6, Radford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

Radford also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6.Of the 10,695 students enrolled at Radford, 460 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 225 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,142. 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.

Full Radford University Veteran Student Life Report

7

University of South Alabama ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Mobile, Alabama is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

USA also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 868 of the 14,224 students enrolled at USA were GI Bill® students, of which 411 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,549. On top of their other funding sources, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

8
Jacksonville State University crest
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, Alabama

Jacksonville State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Jacksonville, Alabama, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Jacksonville State University also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 9,238 students enrolled at Jacksonville State University, 371 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 125 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,159. 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.

Read More…

9
Shepherd University crest
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherd University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, this small public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Shepherd University has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 152 of the 3,159 students enrolled at Shepherd University were GI Bill® students, of which 78 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,177. In addition to receiving other benefits, 20 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Shepherd University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

10
Newberry College crest
Newberry College
Newberry, South Carolina

Newberry College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Newberry College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Newberry, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Newberry College has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Newberry College supports 1,256 students, and 49 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 23 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,610. To help with additional expenses, 9 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Newberry College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

11

With a ranking of #11, Georgia College & State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Milledgeville, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Georgia College also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Among the 6,873 students enrolled at Georgia College & State University, 125 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,100. 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 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%.

Full Georgia College & State University Veteran Student Life Report

12
GSU crest
Grambling State University
Grambling, Louisiana

Grambling State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Grambling, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

GSU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 189 of the 5,438 students enrolled at Grambling State University were GI Bill® students, of which 31 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,974. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

13
North Greenville crest
North Greenville University
Tigerville, South Carolina

North Greenville University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Tigerville, South Carolina, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Greenville, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 70 of the 2,280 students enrolled at North Greenville were GI Bill® students, of which 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,696. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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%.

Full North Greenville Veteran Student Life Report

14
Shaw University crest
Shaw University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Shaw University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Shaw University also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 71 of the 1,283 students enrolled at Shaw University were GI Bill® students, of which 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,999. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Shaw University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

15
UMO crest
University of Mount Olive
Mount Olive, North Carolina

University of Mount Olive ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Mount Olive, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

UMO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Of the 2,536 students enrolled at University of Mount Olive, 267 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 180 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,106. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Mount Olive offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UMO]](/colleges/mount-olive-college/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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