2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
20
Ranked Colleges
2,405
Degrees Awarded
$29,189
Avg Salary
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 Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,772 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,911 and $19,677 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,405 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,089 and $26,296 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs, but they also offer a lot of support to 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s”.
Top 20 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 362 students in 2020-2021.
U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 33,081 students enrolled at U of U 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through 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%. 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 University of Utah]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school awarded 308 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, Colorado State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Of the 32,428 students enrolled at Colorado State University - Fort Collins, 1,606 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,183 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,701. On top of their other funding sources, 68 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Colorado State University - Fort Collins 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Colorado State University - Fort Collins]](/colleges/colorado-state-university-fort-collins/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Metropolitan State University of Denver. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. Metropolitan State University of Denver is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
MSU Denver also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #8.Of the 19,086 students enrolled at Metropolitan State University of Denver, 1,222 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 867 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,619. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Metropolitan State University of Denver Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wyoming. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 86 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree vets studying parks & rec list, UW has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 473 of the 11,829 students enrolled at UW were GI Bill® students, of which 255 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,738. In addition to receiving other benefits, 13 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%.
Full University of Wyoming Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Boise State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. Boise State is located in Boise, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Boise State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,134 of the 24,069 students enrolled at Boise State were GI Bill® students, of which 798 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,559. During this same period, 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%.
Full Boise State University Veteran Student Life Report
Utah State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Logan, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 130 students in 2020-2021.
USU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #7.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 27,691 students enrolled at Utah State University were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $285. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Utah State University 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Utah State University]](/colleges/utah-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #7, Southern Utah University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Southern Utah University is a public institution located in Cedar City, Utah. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Utah University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #15.Of the 12,582 students enrolled at Southern Utah University, 534 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 378 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,076. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Utah University 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…
University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large school located in Greeley, Colorado that handed out 121 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Northern Colorado did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.According to our most recent data, University of Northern Colorado supports 11,460 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Northern Colorado]](/colleges/university-of-northern-colorado/student-life/veterans/)
Colorado Mesa University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Colorado Mesa is located in Grand Junction, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 137 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Colorado Mesa also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #9.Of the 9,110 students enrolled at Colorado Mesa, 439 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 196 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,707. 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 More…
Lewis - Clark State College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Lewis - Clark State College is a small school located in Lewiston, Idaho that handed out 24 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Lewis - Clark State College also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Lewis - Clark State College supports 3,856 students, and 168 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 88 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,079. During this same period, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Lewis - Clark State College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Utah Valley University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. UVU is a large public school situated in Orem, Utah. It awarded 126 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UVU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.According to our most recent data, Utah Valley University supports 40,936 students, and 813 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 379 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,550. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Utah Valley 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%.
Read More…
Rocky Mountain College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Rocky Mountain College is located in Billings, Montana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Rocky did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Among the 1,014 students enrolled at Rocky, 47 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 $15,888. On top of their other funding sources, 19 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 Rocky]](/colleges/rocky-mountain-college/student-life/veterans/)
Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 257 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
BYU also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #2.Of the 36,461 students enrolled at BYU, 368 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 220 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,856. 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 92%.
Read More…
Weber State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Ogden, Utah, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
WSU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Among the 29,596 students enrolled at WSU, 747 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 472 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,815. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 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%.
Read More…
Colorado State University - Pueblo ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Colorado State University - Pueblo is a medium-sized public school situated in Pueblo, Colorado. It awarded 40 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State University - Pueblo, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Among the 5,925 students enrolled at Colorado State University - Pueblo, 21 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,707. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 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 Colorado State University - Pueblo]](/colleges/colorado-state-university-pueblo/student-life/veterans/)
University of Idaho ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. U of I is a fairly large public school situated in Moscow, Idaho. It awarded 39 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
U of I also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #10.Of the 10,791 students enrolled at U of I, 382 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 248 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,784. During this same period, 29 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 U of I]](/colleges/university-of-idaho/student-life/veterans/)
Adams State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Adams State University is located in Alamosa, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Adams State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Of the 3,164 students enrolled at Adams State University, 142 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,465. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Adams State]](/colleges/adams-state-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, Fort Lewis College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Durango, Colorado, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
FLC also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #16.Our most recent data shows that 101 of the 3,469 students enrolled at FLC were GI Bill® students, of which 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,268. During this same period, 6 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 Fort Lewis College]](/colleges/fort-lewis-college/student-life/veterans/)
Western Colorado University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Western Colorado University is a public institution located in Gunnison, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Western also took the #19 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Western Colorado University supports 3,203 students, and 75 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 46 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,543. 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.
Read More…
Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.
BYU - I also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #18.Our most recent data shows that 471 of the 44,481 students enrolled at Brigham Young University - Idaho were GI Bill® students, of which 200 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,677. 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.
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 Brigham Young University - Idaho Veteran Student Life Report
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