2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region
17
Ranked Colleges
115
Degrees Awarded
$69,500
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 in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
Across the Southeast region, there were 19,760 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,102 and $25,352 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 17 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate”.
Top 17 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kentucky landed the #1 spot on the list. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region doctor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, UK has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Among the 29,986 students enrolled at University of Kentucky, 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 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 86%.
Full UK Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,102 of the 36,042 students enrolled at North Carolina State University were GI Bill® students, of which 493 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,886. During this same period, 27 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 94%, 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%.
Full NC State Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 4 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Florida State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.
Full Florida State University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clemson University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Clemson, South Carolina, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Clemson, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 26,406 students enrolled at Clemson, 922 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 429 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,920. To help with additional expenses, 15 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 94%. 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 Clemson]](/colleges/clemson-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 7 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region doctor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, UT Knoxville has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,122 of the 30,559 students enrolled at UT Knoxville were GI Bill® students, of which 739 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,650. To help with additional expenses, 8 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read More…
Troy University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate ranking. TROY is located in Troy, Alabama and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region doctor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, TROY has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, TROY supports 16,497 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,250. 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.
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University of South Carolina - Columbia landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate ranking. UofSC is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
UofSC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6.According to our most recent data, University of South Carolina - Columbia supports 35,470 students, and 1,609 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 651 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,453. During this same period, 33 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of South Carolina - Columbia 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 90%. 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 UofSC Veteran Student Life Report
University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. UNC Greensboro is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region doctor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, UNC Greensboro has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 19,764 students enrolled at UNC Greensboro, 885 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 329 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,723. During this same period, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNC Greensboro does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full UNC Greensboro Veteran Student Life Report
Old Dominion University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. Old Dominion is a large school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 2 doctorate’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Old Dominion also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Among the 24,286 students enrolled at Old Dominion 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 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.
Full Old Dominion Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, United States Sports Academy did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. Daphne, Alabama is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Academy, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 47 of the 338 students enrolled at United States Sports Academy were GI Bill® students, of which 36 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,163. 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 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
[Read full report on veteran student life at The Academy]](/colleges/united-states-sports-academy/student-life/veterans/)
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middle Tennessee State University, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Middle Tennessee State University supports 22,080 students, and 1,284 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 799 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,132. 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.
Read More…
With a ranking of #12, University of Mississippi did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Ole Miss also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12.Among the 21,014 students enrolled at Ole Miss, 46 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,346. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ole Miss 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.
Full University of Mississippi Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, East Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. Johnson City, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
ETSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, East Tennessee State University supports 13,713 students, and 6 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $25,115. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. East Tennessee State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at East Tennessee State University]](/colleges/east-tennessee-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Mississippi State University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. Mississippi State, Mississippi is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s parks and rec degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Mississippi State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 22,986 students enrolled at Mississippi State University, 1,170 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 676 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,684. 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.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Mississippi State University]](/colleges/mississippi-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #15, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Parks & Rec for a Doctorate list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Among the 39,147 students enrolled at University of Georgia, 9 are 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 $7,402. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
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