2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the New England Region
14
Ranked Colleges
543
Degrees Awarded
$47,991
Avg Salary
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” 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.
Across the New England region, there were 2,777 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,506 and $25,928 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s”.
Top 14 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the New England Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of New Hampshire - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. This fairly large school is located in Durham, New Hampshire, and it awarded 16 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UNH also took the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking.Of the 14,348 students enrolled at University of New Hampshire - Main Campus, 37 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,247. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UNH Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Springfield College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Springfield College is located in Springfield, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Springfield College also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 3,068 students enrolled at Springfield College 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. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Springfield College Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Connecticut landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Storrs, Connecticut, and it awarded 18 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCONN, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking.Among the 27,215 students enrolled at University of Connecticut, 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 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…
Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Endicott College landed the #4 spot on the list. Endicott is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Endicott did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 124 of the 4,287 students enrolled at Endicott were GI Bill® students, of which 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,129. During this same period, 16 students received scholarships 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%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern New Hampshire University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. Southern New Hampshire University is a large school located in Manchester, New Hampshire that handed out 129 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SNHU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #10.Of the 134,345 students enrolled at SNHU, 1 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. 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.
Full SNHU Veteran Student Life Report
Southern Connecticut State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Southern Connecticut State University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our new england region master’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, SCSU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 301 of the 9,331 students enrolled at Southern Connecticut State University were GI Bill® students, of which 202 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,110. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Connecticut State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SCSU]](/colleges/southern-connecticut-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #7. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Amherst, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking.Of the 31,642 students enrolled at University of Massachusetts Amherst, 477 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 252 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,295. In addition to receiving other benefits, 21 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Massachusetts Amherst 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Massachusetts Amherst]](/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #8, Plymouth State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Plymouth, New Hampshire is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
Plymouth State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 124 of the 4,491 students enrolled at Plymouth State were GI Bill® students, of which 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,351. In addition to receiving other benefits, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Plymouth State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Plymouth State University]](/colleges/plymouth-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Castleton University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Castleton University is located in Castleton, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Castleton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list.According to our most recent data, Castleton supports 2,211 students, and 74 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 47 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,995. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Castleton University]](/colleges/castleton-state-college/student-life/veterans/)
Lasell University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. Lasell is a small school located in Newton, Massachusetts that handed out 33 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Lasell also took the #7 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking.Among the 1,951 students enrolled at Lasell, 58 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,225. During this same period, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UMass Boston not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 678 of the 16,259 students enrolled at UMass Boston were GI Bill® students, of which 362 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,414. 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…
Western New England University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified masters’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western New England, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking.Among the 3,673 students enrolled at Western New England University, 81 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 37 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,271. To help with additional expenses, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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…
With a ranking of #13, Franklin Pierce University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Franklin Pierce University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rindge, New Hampshire. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Franklin Pierce also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #12.According to our most recent data, Franklin Pierce supports 1,928 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $24,477. 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 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…
Johnson & Wales University - Providence ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the New England Region for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Johnson & Wales University - Providence is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
JWU Providence did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list.Of the 5,676 students enrolled at JWU Providence, 265 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 175 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,319. During this same period, 9 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 JWU Providence]](/colleges/johnson-and-wales-university-providence/student-life/veterans/)
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Colleges for Veterans in the New England Region
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master's Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
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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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