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2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Florida

12 Ranked Colleges
439 Degrees Awarded
$41,704 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’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 Florida, there were 2,397 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,773 and $21,713 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s”.

Top 12 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Florida

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 97 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also took the #1 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking.According to our most recent data, UF supports 53,372 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. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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…

2
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 62 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” list.Among the 43,569 students enrolled at Florida State University, 8 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 $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.

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 Veteran Student Life Report

3
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Miami. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. U Miami is a private not-for-profit institution located in Coral Gables, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U Miami also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking.Among the 17,809 students enrolled at U Miami, 4 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,198. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 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 91%.

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

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 masters’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USF Tampa, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking.Of the 50,626 students enrolled at University of South Florida - Main Campus, 2,211 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,241 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,943. To help with additional expenses, 13 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 92%. 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 USF Tampa]](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 31 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” list, coming in at #4.Our most recent data shows that 1,079 of the 58,836 students enrolled at FIU were GI Bill® students, of which 606 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,771. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. FIU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 International University Veteran Student Life Report

6

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. This medium-sized school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 12 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida A&M University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” list.According to our most recent data, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University supports 9,184 students, and 21 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,764. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

7

University of Central Florida landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 39 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” list.According to our most recent data, University of Central Florida supports 71,881 students, and 2,263 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,216 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,995. On top of their other funding sources, 8 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Central Florida Veteran Student Life Report

8

The University of West Florida ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. The University of West Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 12 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWF, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” ranking.Of the 13,061 students enrolled at The University of West Florida, 1,438 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 750 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,810. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. The University of West Florida does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

9
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Nova Southeastern University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it awarded 15 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

NUS Florida also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” list, coming in at #7.Our most recent data shows that 522 of the 20,888 students enrolled at NUS Florida were GI Bill® students, of which 335 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,213. During this same period, 70 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%.

Read More…

10
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

FAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” list.Our most recent data shows that 708 of the 30,805 students enrolled at Florida Atlantic University were GI Bill® students, of which 397 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,153. 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 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 Florida Atlantic University]](/colleges/florida-atlantic-university/student-life/veterans/)

11
Barry University crest
Barry University
Miami, Florida

With a ranking of #11, Barry University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s parks and rec degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Barry University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” list.According to our most recent data, Barry University supports 7,515 students, and 22 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 19 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,141. In addition to receiving other benefits, 12 students qualified for 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 Barry University]](/colleges/barry-university/student-life/veterans/)

12
SEU crest
Southeastern University
Lakeland, Florida

Southeastern University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec for a Master’s ranking. SEU is a medium-sized school located in Lakeland, Florida that handed out 20 masters’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

SEU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Florida” list.Of the 9,546 students enrolled at SEU, 7 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,265. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SEU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SEU]](/colleges/southeastern-university/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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