2023 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
14
Ranked Colleges
198
Degrees Awarded
$27,900
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 218th most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s”.
Top 14 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 are 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIUC 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, IU Bloomington supports 43,064 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. 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 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full IU Bloomington Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 12 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
U of U also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3.Among the 33,081 students enrolled at University of Utah, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Utah offers 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at U of U]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #4 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 11,366 students enrolled at SIUC 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, CSULB has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 40,069 students enrolled at CSULB, 822 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 310 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,845. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. CSULB offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on veteran student life at California State University - Long Beach]](/colleges/california-state-university-long-beach/student-life/veterans/)
East Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 4 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
ECU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 8 of the 28,798 students enrolled at ECU were GI Bill® students, of which 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. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full East Carolina University Veteran Student Life Report
Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #7. OHIO Athens is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 7 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Of the 25,714 students enrolled at Ohio University - Athens Campus, 726 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 324 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,725. On top of their other funding sources, 10 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
University of Northern Iowa ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 8 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UNI also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5.According to our most recent data, UNI supports 9,507 students, and 251 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 99 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,033. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNI 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UNI]](/colleges/university-of-northern-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus supports 24,535 students, and 1,038 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 439 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,226. In addition to receiving other benefits, 39 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full OSU Veteran Student Life Report
SUNY Cortland landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Cortland, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
SUNY Cortland also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7.Among the 6,832 students enrolled at SUNY Cortland, 78 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 SUNY Cortland Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #11, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 4 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Chico supports 16,746 students, and 354 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 166 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,098. 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.
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 Chico State Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Sac State supports 32,293 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 23 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,555. To help with additional expenses, 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%.
Read More…
University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Toledo, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
University of Toledo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Among the 18,319 students enrolled at University of Toledo, 510 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 232 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,784. On top of their other funding sources, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Toledo does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full University of Toledo Veteran Student Life Report
Southern Oregon University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Ashland, Oregon, and it awarded 8 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Oregon University also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 5,140 students enrolled at Southern Oregon University, 250 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 116 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,435. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full Southern Oregon University Veteran Student Life Report
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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