2023 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Missouri
12
Ranked Colleges
1,355
Degrees Awarded
$23,500
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 Missouri, there were 1,355 parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,909 and $24,765 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree in parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs as well as strong veteran support.
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.
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 Missouri for Parks & Rec” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec”.
Top 12 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Missouri
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 120 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 31,089 students enrolled at University of Missouri - Columbia, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,384. On top of their other funding sources, 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Missouri - Columbia]](/colleges/university-of-missouri-columbia/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, Lindenwood University landed the #2 spot on the list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 128 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,382 students enrolled at Lindenwood University, 31 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,583. On top of their other funding sources, 1 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 More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Missouri. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec list. UCM is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 108 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCM also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 9,959 students enrolled at UCM, 9 are 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 $4,238. 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.
Full University of Central Missouri Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec that were part of this year’s ranking, Maryville University of Saint Louis landed the #4 spot on the list. Maryville U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 49 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Maryville U 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 10,979 students enrolled at Maryville U, 7 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,372. 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 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…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri State University - Springfield. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec list. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 149 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our missouri vets studying parks & rec list, Missouri State has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Missouri State University - Springfield supports 23,505 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,830. On top of their other funding sources, 1 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…
Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec ranking, coming in at #6. Cape Girardeau, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.
Southeast Missouri State University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Southeast Missouri State University supports 10,001 students, and 344 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 143 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,052. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southeast Missouri State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 52 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest 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, Northwest Missouri State University supports 7,267 students, and 168 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 68 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,773. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northwest Missouri State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Missouri Western State University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec list. Missouri Western is located in Saint Joseph, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s parks and rec degrees to qualified students.
Missouri Western 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 4,911 students enrolled at Missouri Western State University, 161 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 $4,005. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Missouri Western Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #9, Truman State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec list. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, this small public school awarded 92 degrees to qualified ’s parks and rec students in 2020-2021.
Truman State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 55 of the 4,655 students enrolled at Truman State University were GI Bill® students, of which 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,178. During this same period, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, 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%.
Full Truman State University Veteran Student Life Report
Missouri Southern State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec ranking. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s parks and rec degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri Southern, 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, Missouri Southern supports 5,045 students, and 210 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 98 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,255. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Missouri Southern offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Missouri Southern State University]](/colleges/missouri-southern-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #11, Missouri Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec list. MBU is a small school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 50 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
MBU 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 4,860 students enrolled at MBU, 71 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 49 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,645. During this same period, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full MBU Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #12, Avila University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Missouri for Parks & Rec list. Avila is a small school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 29 ’s parks and rec degrees in 2020-2021.
Avila 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 1,414 students enrolled at Avila, 54 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,968. 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 Avila]](/colleges/avila-university/student-life/veterans/)
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Kansas
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in North Dakota
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Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges for Veterans in Nebraska
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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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