2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Florida
19
Ranked Colleges
2,397
Degrees Awarded
$28,300
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec” ranking - to help you make that 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 Florida, there were 2,397 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,773 and $21,713 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec”.
Top 19 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Florida
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 306 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 53,372 students enrolled at University of Florida, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school 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.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 219 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Florida State 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 43,569 students enrolled at Florida State University, 8 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,819. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Florida State Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it awarded 185 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale, 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 75 of the 20,330 students enrolled at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale were GI Bill® students, of which 56 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,004. To help with additional expenses, 21 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Miami landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Miami is located in Coral Gables, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U Miami, 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 4 of the 17,809 students enrolled at U Miami were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,198. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. U Miami offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 University of Miami]](/colleges/university-of-miami/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USF Tampa, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 50,626 students enrolled at University of South Florida - Main Campus, 2,211 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,241 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,943. During this same period, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of South Florida - Main Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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…
Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #6. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 274 students in 2020-2021.
FIU 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, Florida International University supports 58,836 students, and 1,079 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 606 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,771. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Florida International University does offer 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #7, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec list. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 147 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
UWF also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 13,061 students enrolled at UWF, 1,438 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 750 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,810. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UWF does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full UWF Veteran Student Life Report
Florida Atlantic University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec ranking. Florida Atlantic University is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 189 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our florida vets studying parks & rec list, FAU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, FAU supports 30,805 students, and 708 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 397 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,153. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. FAU 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…
Palm Beach Atlantic University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec list. Palm Beach Atlantic is a small private not-for-profit school situated in West Palm Beach, Florida. It awarded 32 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Palm Beach Atlantic also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,704 students enrolled at Palm Beach Atlantic University, 123 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 67 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,584. In addition to receiving other benefits, 17 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Palm Beach Atlantic 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 Palm Beach Atlantic University]](/colleges/palm-beach-atlantic-university-west-palm-beach/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #10, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec list. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a medium-sized school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 34 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida A&M University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 9,184 students enrolled at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, 21 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,764. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #11. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 67 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our florida vets studying parks & rec list, UCF has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Central Florida supports 71,881 students, and 2,263 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,216 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,995. On top of their other funding sources, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Central Florida 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Central Florida Veteran Student Life Report
Nova Southeastern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #12. Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 74 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our florida vets studying parks & rec list, NUS Florida has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, NUS Florida supports 20,888 students, and 522 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 335 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,213. In addition to receiving other benefits, 70 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%.
Read More…
University of North Florida landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 90 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UNF also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 1,067 of the 16,926 students enrolled at University of North Florida were GI Bill® students, of which 616 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,959. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of North Florida does offer 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 University of North Florida Veteran Student Life Report
The University of Tampa ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
UT 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 9,605 students enrolled at The University of Tampa, 526 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 345 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,049. During this same period, 77 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%.
Full The University of Tampa Veteran Student Life Report
Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec list. Fort Myers, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
FGCU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 362 of the 15,358 students enrolled at FGCU were GI Bill® students, of which 232 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,284. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. FGCU 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…
Webber International University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Babson Park, Florida, and it awarded 28 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our florida vets studying parks & rec list, Webber International University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 812 students enrolled at Webber International University, 32 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,178. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Webber International University]](/colleges/webber-international-university/student-life/veterans/)
Barry University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 44 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Barry University 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, Barry University supports 7,515 students, and 22 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 19 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,141. During this same period, 12 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Barry University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #18, Southeastern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec list. Lakeland, Florida 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 68 students in 2020-2021.
SEU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 9,546 students enrolled at SEU, 7 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,265. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SEU offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Warner University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #19. Warner University is a small school located in Lake Wales, Florida that handed out 27 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Warner University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 32 of the 978 students enrolled at Warner University were GI Bill® students, of which 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,090. 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.
Full Warner University Veteran Student Life Report
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North Carolina
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina
Alabama
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Alabama
Georgia
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Georgia
Louisiana
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Louisiana
South Carolina
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in South Carolina
Virginia
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Virginia
West Virginia
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in West Virginia
Kentucky
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky
Tennessee
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Tennessee
Mississippi
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Mississippi
Florida
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Florida
Arkansas
Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Arkansas
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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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