2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
12
Ranked Colleges
1,345
Degrees Awarded
$31,153
Avg Salary
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Iowa, there were 1,493 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,634 and $25,812 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,345 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,980 and $30,839 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec.
Top 12 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 608 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Iowa supports 30,318 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Iowa 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 242 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list.Among the 31,822 students enrolled at Iowa State University, 814 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,933. During this same period, 9 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Iowa State 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Iowa State]](/colleges/iowa-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Ambrose University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Ambrose University is located in Davenport, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
St. Ambrose University also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking.Among the 3,003 students enrolled at St. Ambrose University, 88 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 42 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,054. To help with additional expenses, 17 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%.
Full Saint Ambrose University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. UNI is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 251 of the 9,507 students enrolled at UNI were GI Bill® students, of which 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,033. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNI offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 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/)
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Loras College landed the #5 spot on the list. Dubuque, Iowa 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 32 students in 2020-2021.
Loras did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list.Among the 1,404 students enrolled at Loras, 34 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 15 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,495. 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 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 Loras College]](/colleges/loras-college/student-life/veterans/)
University of Dubuque came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list.Our most recent data shows that 115 of the 2,180 students enrolled at University of Dubuque were GI Bill® students, of which 74 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,817. To help with additional expenses, 30 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Grand View University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Grand View University is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Grand View University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #8.Of the 1,874 students enrolled at Grand View University, 86 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 38 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,256. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 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 Grand View University]](/colleges/grand-view-university/student-life/veterans/)
Simpson College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Indianola, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Simpson College has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking.According to our most recent data, Simpson College supports 1,267 students, and 35 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 18 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,481. During this same period, 7 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%.
Read More…
William Penn University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. William Penn University is a small school located in Oskaloosa, Iowa that handed out 40 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, William Penn University has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking.Among the 1,350 students enrolled at William Penn University, 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. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at William Penn University]](/colleges/william-penn-university/student-life/veterans/)
Buena Vista University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Buena Vista University is located in Storm Lake, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
BVU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #9.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 1,863 students enrolled at Buena Vista University were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,992. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Buena Vista University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 BVU]](/colleges/buena-vista-university/student-life/veterans/)
Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Graceland Lamoni is located in Lamoni, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Graceland Lamoni has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking.Among the 1,517 students enrolled at Graceland Lamoni, 17 are 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 $7,416. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Graceland Lamoni does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Cornell College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Mount Vernon, Iowa 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 26 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell College, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking.Of the 1,002 students enrolled at Cornell College, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,961. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cornell College 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%.
Read More…
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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.
Credits
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