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

92 Ranked Colleges
8,091 Degrees Awarded
$29,847 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor's

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies is the 15th most popular major in the country with 73,813 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 10,384 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,191 and $25,844 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,091 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 92 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s”.

Top 25 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 92 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 274 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 47,907 students enrolled at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, 570 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 325 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $27,058. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor 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 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 join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 192 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Ohio State supports 61,369 students, and 2 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. 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Miami University - Oxford. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 301 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 18,880 students enrolled at Miami University - Oxford, 405 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 259 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,877. On top of their other funding sources, 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Miami University - Oxford Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 259 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 136 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 44,640 students enrolled at University of Wisconsin - Madison, 4 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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 received funds 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 95%, 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%.

Full UW - Madison Veteran Student Life Report

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.

Purdue also took the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,765. During this same period, 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 93%, 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…

7

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 576 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” 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. 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.

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 91%.

Read More…

8
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio

Xavier University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. This medium-sized school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Xavier not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 7,061 students enrolled at Xavier, 249 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 184 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,316. On top of their other funding sources, 75 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 85%, 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 Xavier University]](/colleges/xavier-university/student-life/veterans/)

9
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 266 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Central Michigan has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 17,311 students enrolled at Central Michigan University, 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 $425. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Central Michigan University 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%.

Full Central Michigan Veteran Student Life Report

10

University of Dayton landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. UDayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 34 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UDayton, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 11,650 students enrolled at University of Dayton, 197 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 142 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,930. In addition to receiving other benefits, 40 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 91%, 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…

11
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 114 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19.According to our most recent data, WMU supports 19,887 students, and 584 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 327 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,981. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

12
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #12, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Our most recent data shows that 486 of the 16,294 students enrolled at Eastern Michigan were GI Bill® students, of which 265 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,462. 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.

Full Eastern Michigan University Veteran Student Life Report

13

Grand Valley State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 286 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 23,350 students enrolled at Grand Valley State University, 479 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 198 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,686. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Grand Valley State University 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%.

Read More…

14

Baldwin Wallace University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Berea, Ohio, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Baldwin Wallace College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 3,399 students enrolled at Baldwin Wallace University, 114 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,938. To help with additional expenses, 37 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Baldwin Wallace College Veteran Student Life Report

15

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 214 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 10,531 students enrolled at UW - La Crosse, 230 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 79 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,846. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW - La Crosse 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%. 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 More…

16

With a ranking of #16, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 98 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

Among the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 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 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. Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Among the 24,565 students enrolled at UWM, 983 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 494 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,519. On top of their other funding sources, 3 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…

18

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 137 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens also took the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Ohio University - Athens Campus supports 25,714 students, and 726 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 324 are 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. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at OHIO Athens]](/colleges/ohio-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

19

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 156 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. 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%.

Full Illinois State University Veteran Student Life Report

20
John Carroll crest
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio

John Carroll University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. University Heights, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

John Carroll not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 3,278 students enrolled at John Carroll University, 31 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,539. In addition to receiving other benefits, 9 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%.

Full John Carroll Veteran Student Life Report

21
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 128 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Ball State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 455 of the 21,597 students enrolled at Ball State were GI Bill® students, of which 182 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,124. To help with additional expenses, 29 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 Ball State]](/colleges/ball-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

22

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. UC is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the 40,826 students enrolled at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus, 909 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 498 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,806. To help with additional expenses, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 146 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UIC supports 33,518 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIC 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 UIC Veteran Student Life Report

24
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Valpo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 39 of the 3,122 students enrolled at Valparaiso University were GI Bill® students, of which 26 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,678. To help with additional expenses, 16 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Valparaiso University 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%.

Full Valparaiso University Veteran Student Life Report

25
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 40 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the 26,241 students enrolled at Wayne State, 470 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 244 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,101. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Wayne State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Wayne State University Veteran Student Life Report

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