2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s
11
Ranked Colleges
1,296
Degrees Awarded
$29,019
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 Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Virginia, there were 1,741 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,990 and $25,658 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,296 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,553 and $27,844 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 11 colleges that offer 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools
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 Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’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 Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s”.
Top 11 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Virginia
Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 292 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list.Our most recent data shows that 842 of the 21,594 students enrolled at JMU were GI Bill® students, of which 464 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,824. In addition to receiving other benefits, 3 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 89%. 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 James Madison University Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Old Dominion University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Old Dominion also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #6.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 24,286 students enrolled at Old Dominion University were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Old Dominion University Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 125 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
William & Mary also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #3.Our most recent data shows that 531 of the 8,939 students enrolled at William & Mary were GI Bill® students, of which 349 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,978. On top of their other funding sources, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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 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 William & Mary]](/colleges/college-of-william-and-mary/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s. George Mason University is a public institution located in Fairfax, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking.According to our most recent data, George Mason University supports 38,541 students, and 2,334 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,583 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,710. In addition to receiving other benefits, 42 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. George Mason University 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. 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%.
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Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the #5 spot on the list. Lynchburg, Virginia 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 186 students in 2020-2021.
Liberty University also made our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #5.Our most recent data shows that 13,282 of the 93,349 students enrolled at Liberty University were GI Bill® students, of which 8,897 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,888. In addition to receiving other benefits, 386 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Liberty University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Liberty University]](/colleges/liberty-university/student-life/veterans/)
Hampton University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Hampton, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s parks and rec degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.
Hampton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list.According to our most recent data, Hampton supports 3,516 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 24 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,739. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Hampton University]](/colleges/hampton-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 84 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also took the #2 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 25,628 students enrolled at University of Virginia - Main Campus were GI Bill® students, of which 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 received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 full report on veteran student life at University of Virginia - Main Campus]](/colleges/university-of-virginia-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
Averett University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. AU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Danville, Virginia. It awarded 32 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at AU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking.Of the 887 students enrolled at Averett University, 2 were 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 $3,806. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Averett University]](/colleges/averett-university/student-life/veterans/)
Radford University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s list. Radford is a medium-sized public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 44 bachelors’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Radford also took the #11 spot in our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking.Among the 10,695 students enrolled at Radford, 460 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 225 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,142. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 Radford Veteran Student Life Report
Roanoke College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Parks & Rec for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Salem, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Roanoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list.Our most recent data shows that 68 of the 1,920 students enrolled at Roanoke were GI Bill® students, of which 50 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,471. In addition to receiving other benefits, 26 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%.
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