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2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec

509 Ranked Colleges
73,813 Degrees Awarded
$34,000 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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, 73,813 people earned their degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,423 and had an average of $24,388 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec” ranking analyzed 509 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Parks & Rec Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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.

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. 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 Parks & Rec

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec”.

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

1

Out of the 509 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 326 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, U-M 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor supports 47,907 students, and 570 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 325 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $27,058. 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 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at U-M]](/colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/student-life/veterans/)

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 646 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M College Station 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 $4,925. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas A&M College Station offers credit for military training for eligible 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A&M University - College Station]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-college-station/student-life/veterans/)

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 306 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UF 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 53,372 students enrolled at University of Florida, 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 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 University of Florida]](/colleges/university-of-florida/student-life/veterans/)

4

Out of the 509 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 248 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, Ohio State has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 94%, 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 Ohio State]](/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

5
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 675 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Iowa 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 1 of the 30,318 students enrolled at University of Iowa 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. 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 88%.

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

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 326 students in 2020-2021.

JMU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, JMU supports 21,594 students, and 842 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 464 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,824. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received funds through 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

7

With a ranking of #7, Citadel Military College of South Carolina did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. This small school is located in Charleston, South Carolina, and it awarded 58 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

The Citadel 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 3,740 students enrolled at The Citadel, 607 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 382 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,997. During this same period, 12 students received funds through 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 401 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 30,092 students enrolled at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 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 scholarships through 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Veteran Student Life Report

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 317 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, UIUC 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. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIUC 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Veteran Student Life Report

10

Miami University - Oxford landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 348 students in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Miami University - Oxford supports 18,880 students, and 405 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 259 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,877. In addition to receiving other benefits, 6 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Miami University - Oxford]](/colleges/miami-university-oxford/student-life/veterans/)

11
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. UARK is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 296 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

UARK also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 11 of the 27,562 students enrolled at University of Arkansas 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 received scholarships through 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read More…

12
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

UK 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 1 of the 29,986 students enrolled at University of Kentucky 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read More…

13
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #13. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 456 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, Rutgers New Brunswick has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 50,411 students enrolled at Rutgers University - New Brunswick, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,625. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds 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 93%. 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 Rutgers University - New Brunswick]](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/student-life/veterans/)

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 148 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, 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 4 of the 44,640 students enrolled at UW - Madison 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 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 95%. 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…

15
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 150 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Syracuse 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 21,322 students enrolled at Syracuse, 385 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 250 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,840. On top of their other funding sources, 217 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 89%. 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 Syracuse University Veteran Student Life Report

16
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, Wazzu has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 31,159 students enrolled at Washington State University, 83 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,702. On top of their other funding sources, 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%.

Read More…

17
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky

University of Louisville ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. This large school is located in Louisville, Kentucky, and it awarded 271 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UofL 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 Louisville supports 22,211 students, and 17 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,972. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UofL]](/colleges/university-of-louisville/student-life/veterans/)

18
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #18, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 382 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying parks & rec list, U of U 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 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 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 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 freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

19
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 46,655 students enrolled at Purdue, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,765. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Purdue does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 Purdue University - Main Campus]](/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

20
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #20. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 219 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Florida State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 43,569 students enrolled at Florida State, 8 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,819. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Florida State]](/colleges/florida-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

21

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #21. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 643 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington, 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. 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%. 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/)

22
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #22. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 125 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 8,939 students enrolled at William & Mary, 531 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 349 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,978. During this same period, 5 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 93%. 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…

23
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 214 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

KU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 70 of the 26,744 students enrolled at KU 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 $10,917. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. KU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 University of Kansas]](/colleges/university-of-kansas/student-life/veterans/)

24
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #24. Old Dominion University is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 142 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Old Dominion also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Old Dominion supports 24,286 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Old Dominion does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Old Dominion Veteran Student Life Report

25
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #25, University of Houston did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec list. University of Houston is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 490 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UH also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 47,090 students enrolled at University of Houston, 1,382 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 730 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,264. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Houston 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UH Veteran Student Life Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio
28
29
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
30
31
32
Southern Miss crest
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
33
34
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
35
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
36
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
37
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
38
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale crest
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
39
40
41
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
42
43
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
44
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
45
46
47
48
49
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
50
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Veteran Friendly for Parks & Rec

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
51Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
53San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
54Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
55Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
56Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboro, TN
57American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV
58Belmont UniversityNashville, TN
59Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS
60Troy UniversityTroy, AL
61Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA
62Springfield CollegeSpringfield, MA
63South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, SD
64Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
65Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
RankCollegeLocation
66The College at BrockportBrockport, NY
67Lindenwood UniversitySaint Charles, MO
68California University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia, PA
69University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
70Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport, IA
71West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
72University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
73Southern Illinois University CarbondaleCarbondale, IL
74Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, AZ
75East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City, TN
76University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
77Tarleton State UniversityStephenville, TX

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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