FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Peace Corps Ranks the Top Masters International and Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Graduate Schools

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 10, 2012 Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams is proud to recognize the Peace Corps Masters International and Paul D. Coverdell Fellows programs with the most Peace Corps volunteers and returned Peace Corps volunteers. For the seventh consecutive year, Michigan Technological University holds the top spot for Masters International schools with 31 students currently serving as volunteers worldwide. The University of Denver is the top Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program with 77 returned Peace Corps volunteers enrolled as students.

Peace Corps volunteers and returned Peace Corps volunteers can benefit greatly from the Masters International and Coverdell Fellows programs, said Director Williams. By pursuing masters degrees before and after Peace Corps service, volunteers are able to advance their careers and help the communities where they serve. Volunteers return to the United States after Peace Corps service as global citizens and are highly sought out by our university partners because they are able to share knowledge from their service with students and faculty members in classrooms across the country.

The Peace Corps Masters International program allows students to earn their graduate degree while serving in the Peace Corps, and the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program provides RPCVs with scholarships, academic credit, and stipends to earn an advanced degree after they complete their Peace Corps service.

Top five Masters International universities and colleges: (The number in parenthesis represents the number of students enrolled in the program and serving overseas as of September 30, 2011.)
1. Michigan Technological University (31)
2. Tulane University (27)
3. Monterey Institute of International Studies (26)
3. University of Washington (26)
5. University of South Florida (22)

Top five Paul D. Coverdell universities and colleges:
(The number in parenthesis represents the number of students enrolled in the program as of September 30, 2011.)
1. University of Denver (77)
2. University of Arizona (62)
3. Johns Hopkins University (45)
4. Teachers College, Columbia University (34)
5. Duke University (23)
5. The New School (23)

To view the entire top 10 rankings of Masters International and Coverdell Fellows universities and colleges, visit the Peace Corps website, here.

The ranking of top undergraduate Peace Corps universities and colleges were released in January 2012.

About the Masters International program: Peace Corps partners with more than 80 colleges and universities nationwide to enable students to earn a masters degree while serving in the Peace Corps. Students begin their studies on campus, serve overseas with the Peace Corps for two years, then return to school to finish graduate work. As part of a Peace Corps volunteers service, the volunteer will work on projects related to his or her masters studies. The program began at Rutgers UniversityCamden in 1987 and since then, more than 1,000 Peace Corps volunteers have completed the program. For more information, visit www.peacecorps.gov/masters.

About the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program: Peace Corps partners with more than 70 colleges and universities nationwide to offer RPCVs an opportunity to earn their graduate or doctorate degree at a reduced cost. In return for financial benefits like reduced tuition, assistantships, and stipends, volunteers put the skills they learned in the Peace Corps to work in professional internships in underserved American communities. Volunteers who have satisfactorily completed their Peace Corps service have lifetime eligibility for Coverdell Fellows. The program was started in 1985 at Columbia University, Teachers College and since then, nearly 4,000 Peace Corps volunteers have completed the program. For more information, visit www.peacecorps.gov/fellows.

About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 9,095 volunteers are working with local communities in 75 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agencys mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.

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