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2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec

68 Ranked Colleges
3,106 Degrees Awarded
$27,100 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 3,106 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 166th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,801 and had an average of $23,333 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec” ranking looked at 68 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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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” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 for Parks & Rec

The colleges and universities below are the best for vets studying parks & rec.

Top 25 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Colleges for Veterans

1

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. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign supports 52,679 students, and 10 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UIUC Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 160 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” 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. During this same period, 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Veteran Student Life Report

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 30,318 students enrolled at University of 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Iowa offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-iowa/student-life/veterans/)

4
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 #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec. University of Arkansas is a public institution located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UARK 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 11 of the 27,562 students enrolled at UARK were GI Bill® students, of which 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,975. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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…

5
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U of U also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, University of Utah supports 33,081 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients 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.

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 U of U]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)

6

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 116 students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 31,089 students enrolled at Mizzou, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,384. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 More…

7
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #7. Greenville, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

ECU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, ECU supports 28,798 students, and 8 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are 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 received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

8

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 91 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, CSULB has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 40,069 students enrolled at California State University - Long Beach, 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. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read More…

9

University of Northern Iowa came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, UNI has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Northern Iowa 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. During this same period, 1 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Northern Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-northern-iowa/student-life/veterans/)

10

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 11 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 52,017 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 752 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,020. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UMN Twin Cities]](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/student-life/veterans/)

11

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

SIUC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 11,366 students enrolled at SIUC, 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

12

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

OSU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 24,535 students enrolled at OSU, 1,038 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 439 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,226. To help with additional expenses, 39 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 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 OSU]](/colleges/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

13

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. OHIO Athens is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 35 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens 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 25,714 students enrolled at Ohio University - Athens Campus, 726 are 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. During this same period, 10 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full OHIO Athens Veteran Student Life Report

14
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #14. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 40 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 36,208 students enrolled at San Jose State University, 660 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 384 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,909. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 More…

15

California State University - Chico ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 99 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Chico State supports 16,746 students, and 354 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 166 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,098. 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.

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 Chico State Veteran Student Life Report

16

University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public institution located in Kearney, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNK also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UNK supports 6,225 students, and 183 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 71 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,539. On top of their other funding sources, 12 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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 UNK Veteran Student Life Report

17
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. Flagstaff, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 29,566 students enrolled at Northern Arizona University, 1,055 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 622 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,378. To help with additional expenses, 56 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 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…

18

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. Kutztown University is located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Kutztown University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 168 of the 7,890 students enrolled at Kutztown University were GI Bill® students, of which 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,498. 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 More…

19

California State University - Sacramento ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Sacramento supports 32,293 students, and 34 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 $4,555. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - Sacramento 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 California State University - Sacramento]](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento/student-life/veterans/)

20

University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 64 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Greensboro did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, UNC Greensboro supports 19,764 students, and 885 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 329 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of North Carolina at Greensboro]](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-greensboro/student-life/veterans/)

21
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #21, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, SDSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, SDSU supports 36,334 students, and 1,433 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 853 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,806. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SDSU 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

22
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, Winona State has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Winona State supports 7,106 students, and 142 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 69 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,645. 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 full report on veteran student life at Winona State University]](/colleges/winona-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

23
Southern Miss crest
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

University of Southern Mississippi landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. University of Southern Mississippi is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Southern Miss also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 14,606 students enrolled at University of Southern Mississippi, 351 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 226 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,605. 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…

24
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York

SUNY Cortland did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #24. SUNY Cortland is a public institution located in Cortland, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY Cortland also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, SUNY Cortland supports 6,832 students, and 78 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 32 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,971. 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.

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

25
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. WWU is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 48 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 622 of the 15,197 students enrolled at Western Washington University were GI Bill® students, of which 324 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,933. During this same period, 7 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 full report on veteran student life at WWU]](/colleges/western-washington-university/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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