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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s

12 Ranked Colleges
430 Degrees Awarded
$31,508 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 3,106 people earned their degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies, making the major the 166th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,801 and had an average of $23,333 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 444 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,508 and $23,752 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 430 parks, recreation and leisure studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,046 and $29,021 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation and leisure studies programs as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation and leisure studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. 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 the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec.

Top 12 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, 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 the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 53 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Iowa has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 30,318 students enrolled at University of Iowa, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-iowa/student-life/veterans/)

2

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #2 spot on the list. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 116 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 31,089 students enrolled at University of Missouri - Columbia, 5 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 $3,384. 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.

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 89%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2.Of the 9,507 students enrolled at University of Northern Iowa, 251 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,033. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNI Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3.Among the 52,017 students enrolled at UMN Twin Cities, 752 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,020. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UMN Twin Cities does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Veteran Student Life Report

5

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

UNK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 6,225 students enrolled at University of Nebraska at Kearney, 183 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 71 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,539. On top of their other funding sources, 12 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Nebraska at Kearney 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%.

Read More…

6
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 32 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Winona State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4.Of the 7,106 students enrolled at Winona State University, 142 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 69 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,645. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Winona 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%.

Full Winona State Veteran Student Life Report

7

Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.According to our most recent data, Northwest Missouri State University supports 7,267 students, and 168 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 68 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,773. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northwest Missouri State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

8

Pittsburg State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Pitt State is a medium-sized school located in Pittsburg, Kansas that handed out 15 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt State also made our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8.According to our most recent data, Pittsburg State University supports 6,398 students, and 204 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 123 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,125. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Pitt State Veteran Student Life Report

9

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 21 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 249 of the 10,275 students enrolled at UMN Duluth were GI Bill® students, of which 88 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,883. 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%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Veteran Student Life Report

10

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 23,505 students enrolled at Missouri State, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,830. During this same period, 1 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%.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield Veteran Student Life Report

11
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. This medium-sized school is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

Southeast Missouri State University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 10,001 students enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University, 344 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 143 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,052. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southeast Missouri State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

12

Emporia State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. ESU is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 8 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.

ESU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 5,828 students enrolled at ESU, 127 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,878. To help with additional expenses, 1 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…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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