2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in New York
21
Ranked Colleges
2,622
Degrees Awarded
$32,000
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 New York, there were 2,622 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,338 and $21,820 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree 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.
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.
Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec
The colleges and universities below are the best for new york vets studying parks & rec.
Top 21 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in New York
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Syracuse University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 150 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our new york vets studying parks & rec list, Syracuse has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 21,322 students enrolled at Syracuse University, 385 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 250 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,840. In addition to receiving other benefits, 217 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Syracuse University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, 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%.
Read More…
Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, The College at Brockport landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Brockport, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 185 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
SUNY Brockport 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 1 of the 7,592 students enrolled at SUNY Brockport 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. 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.
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 SUNY Brockport]](/colleges/suny-college-at-brockport/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Cortland. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec list. This medium-sized school is located in Cortland, New York, and it awarded 349 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our new york vets studying parks & rec list, SUNY Cortland has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, SUNY Cortland supports 6,832 students, and 78 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 $6,971. 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.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SUNY Cortland]](/colleges/suny-college-at-cortland/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 739 of the 30,135 students enrolled at Columbia University in the City of New York were GI Bill® students, of which 467 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,069. During this same period, 328 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Columbia Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, St. Bonaventure University landed the #5 spot on the list. St. Bonaventure University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Bonaventure, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Bonaventure also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 63 of the 2,540 students enrolled at St. Bonaventure were GI Bill® students, of which 37 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,811. In addition to receiving other benefits, 14 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. St. Bonaventure does offer 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full St. Bonaventure Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #6, Pace University - New York did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec list. Pace University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pace University 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 11 of the 12,835 students enrolled at Pace University were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,912. To help with additional expenses, 5 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 Pace University - New York]](/colleges/pace-university-new-york/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #7, Canisius College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec list. This small school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 115 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Canisius, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 67 of the 2,820 students enrolled at Canisius College were GI Bill® students, of which 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,349. On top of their other funding sources, 9 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Canisius College]](/colleges/canisius-college/student-life/veterans/)
Queens College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec list. Queens College is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our new york vets studying parks & rec list, QC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Queens College supports 19,700 students, and 215 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 $3,823. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Queens College does offer 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%.
Full QC Veteran Student Life Report
Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 83 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Brooklyn College 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, Brooklyn College supports 17,735 students, and 195 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 128 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,457. 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.
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 Brooklyn College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, Niagara University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec list. Located in Niagara University, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 37 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our new york vets studying parks & rec list, Niagara has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,544 students enrolled at Niagara, 114 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 60 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,174. In addition to receiving other benefits, 20 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Niagara 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%.
Full Niagara Veteran Student Life Report
St. John Fisher College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec ranking. Fisher is a small school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 41 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Fisher also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 57 of the 3,610 students enrolled at St. John Fisher College were GI Bill® students, of which 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,857. During this same period, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. St. John Fisher College 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full St. John Fisher College Veteran Student Life Report
SUNY Fredonia ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec list. This small school is located in Fredonia, New York, and it awarded 22 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Fredonia 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, SUNY Fredonia supports 4,055 students, and 72 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 18 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,394. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SUNY Fredonia 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…
Adelphi University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Garden City, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 93 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Adelphi also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 99 of the 7,584 students enrolled at Adelphi University were GI Bill® students, of which 73 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,421. To help with additional expenses, 18 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Adelphi University 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 Adelphi Veteran Student Life Report
Farmingdale State College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec ranking. Farmingdale State College is a medium-sized public school situated in Farmingdale, New York. It awarded 57 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 10,018 students enrolled at Farmingdale State College, 250 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 174 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,431. 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 SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale]](/colleges/farmingdale-state-college/student-life/veterans/)
St John’s University - New York landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec ranking. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 132 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
STJ not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 11 of the 20,143 students enrolled at STJ were GI Bill® students, of which 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,047. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. STJ 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 More…
Lehman College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 92 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our new york vets studying parks & rec list, Lehman has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 15,091 students enrolled at Lehman College, 184 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 131 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,409. 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 More…
With a ranking of #17, Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec list. Located in Paul Smiths, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Paul Smith’s College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 681 students enrolled at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science, 45 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 30 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,948. To help with additional expenses, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Veteran Student Life Report
LIU Post did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #18. LIU Post is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Brookville, New York. It awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at LIU Post, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 53 of the 15,066 students enrolled at LIU Post were GI Bill® students, of which 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,023. In addition to receiving other benefits, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full LIU Post Veteran Student Life Report
St. Thomas Aquinas College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec list. STAC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sparkill, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
STAC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 20 of the 1,779 students enrolled at St. Thomas Aquinas College were GI Bill® students, of which 12 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,384. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
[Read full report on veteran student life at St. Thomas Aquinas College]](/colleges/saint-thomas-aquinas-college/student-life/veterans/)
Manhattanville College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in New York for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 57 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Manhattanville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 2,408 students enrolled at Manhattanville, 20 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,570. During this same period, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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. 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 Manhattanville College Veteran Student Life Report
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