2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec
19
Ranked Colleges
2,442
Degrees Awarded
$26,700
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Illinois, there were 2,442 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,264 and $24,988 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The parks & rec school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying parks & rec.
Top 19 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 317 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying parks & rec list, UIUC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 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. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.
Full UIUC Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 136 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying parks & rec list, SIUC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 11,366 students enrolled at SIUC, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 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…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 130 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 12,860 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SIUE]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 223 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 530 of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State University were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. 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 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…
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 155 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UIC supports 33,518 students, and 1 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 $23,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIC 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%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #6, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Aurora also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Aurora University supports 6,265 students, and 3 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 $6,999. 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 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 Aurora University Veteran Student Life Report
North Central College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, North Central College supports 2,832 students, and 46 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 32 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,214. During this same period, 15 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 North Central College Veteran Student Life Report
Western Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec ranking. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 118 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
WIU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU, 330 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,652. 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.
Read More…
University of St Francis ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
University of Saint Francis also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 3,529 students enrolled at University of Saint Francis, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,734. 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%.
Full University of St Francis Veteran Student Life Report
Eastern Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 107 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, EIU supports 8,626 students, and 184 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 46 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,730. 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.
Full Eastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report
Elmhurst University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Elmhurst also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 3,421 students enrolled at Elmhurst, 77 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,985. During this same period, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Elmhurst 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 full report on veteran student life at Elmhurst]](/colleges/elmhurst-college/student-life/veterans/)
Monmouth College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 31 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying parks & rec list, Monmouth has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Monmouth supports 860 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 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, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Monmouth offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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…
Northern Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 98 students in 2020-2021.
NIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 480 of the 16,769 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Read More…
With a ranking of #14, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 30 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University, 57 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,334. During this same period, 11 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Olivet Nazarene 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 More…
Northwestern University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec ranking. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern University, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $399. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Northwestern University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #16, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. Trinity International University - Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
TIU Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, TIU Illinois supports 1,454 students, and 14 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,061. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. TIU Illinois does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Trinity International University - Illinois]](/colleges/trinity-international-university-illinois/student-life/veterans/)
Quincy University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec ranking. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Quincy U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Quincy University supports 1,273 students, and 13 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,744. During this same period, 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 Quincy U]](/colleges/quincy-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, Millikin University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 18 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,982 students enrolled at Millikin, 24 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,013. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Millikin Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #19, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Parks & Rec list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 429 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Chicago, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Concordia University, Chicago supports 6,491 students, and 134 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,085. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Concordia University, Chicago 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Concordia University, Chicago]](/colleges/concordia-university-chicago/student-life/veterans/)
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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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