2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s
14
Ranked Colleges
198
Degrees Awarded
$42,720
Avg Salary
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. 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 Parks & Rec for a Master’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies is the 166th most popular major in the country with 3,106 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation and leisure studies programs, but they also offer a lot of support to 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 41 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.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. 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 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/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, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 43,064 students enrolled at Indiana University - Bloomington were GI Bill® students, of which 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 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at IU Bloomington]](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington/student-life/veterans/)
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. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, U of U supports 33,081 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. 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.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 University of Utah]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Southern Illinois University Carbondale supports 11,366 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. 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 SIUC]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
CSULB also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6.Of the 40,069 students enrolled at CSULB, 822 were 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through 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 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 CSULB Veteran Student Life Report
East Carolina University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
ECU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.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 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. ECU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
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 located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 25,714 students enrolled at OHIO Athens, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,725. On top of their other funding sources, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
University of Northern Iowa ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
UNI also took the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 251 of the 9,507 students enrolled at University of Northern Iowa were GI Bill® students, of which 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,033. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Northern Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-northern-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 7 diplomas 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, OSU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 24,535 students enrolled at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus, 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 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. 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%. 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…
SUNY Cortland did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. SUNY Cortland is a public institution located in Cortland, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships 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%. 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…
California State University - Chico landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
Chico State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 354 of the 16,746 students enrolled at Chico State were GI Bill® students, of which 166 were 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 scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Chico State 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%.
Full Chico State Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Sacramento came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Sac State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 32,293 students enrolled at California State University - Sacramento, 34 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,555. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Sac State]](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento/student-life/veterans/)
University of Toledo came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. University of Toledo is located in Toledo, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
University of Toledo also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.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. To help with additional expenses, 11 students received scholarships 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 University of Toledo]](/colleges/university-of-toledo/student-life/veterans/)
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. Located in Ashland, Oregon, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Southern Oregon University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 250 of the 5,140 students enrolled at Southern Oregon University were GI Bill® students, of which 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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