FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Peace Corps Ranks Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities

University of Colorado Boulder, The George Washington University, and University of Mary Washington Earn Top Spots for Second Consecutive Year

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 25, 2012 The University of Colorado Boulder, The George Washington University, and the University of Mary Washington lead Peace Corps 2012 rankings of the top Peace Corps volunteer producing colleges and universities. Each of the universities held the premier ranking for the large, medium, and small in 2011.

Colleges and universities prepare thousands of talented undergraduate and graduate alumni for Peace Corps service every year, said Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams (Dominican Republic, 1967-1970). These alumni go on to serve as Peace Corps volunteers, applying the skills and knowledge they acquired during their studies to promote world peace and friendship and improve the lives of people around the world. Every day, volunteers make countless contributions to projects in agriculture, education, the environment, health and HIV/AIDS education and prevention, small business development, and youth development. I would like to extend my gratitude to all colleges and universities for their continued support of the Peace Corps and public service.

Peace Corps Director Williams announced the top volunteer-producing colleges and universities today at the University of Colorado Boulder, which outpaced other large universities with 112 undergraduate alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers overseas. In the medium school category, The George Washington University ranks number one for the fourth consecutive year, with 78 undergraduate alumni serving overseas. And, for the second year in a row, the University of Mary Washington topped the small school category, with 29 undergraduate alumni currently serving as volunteers.

The University of Florida holds the top spot in the graduate school category this year with 30 currently serving volunteers holding masters degrees from the school. It was in second place last year. Historically, the University of California, Berkeley maintains the number one all-time rank, with 3,497 Peace Corps volunteer alumni.

Following are the top five colleges and universities in each undergraduate category, as well as the top graduate schools and a historical ranking. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers.

LARGE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:
More than 15,000 undergraduates

• 1. University of Colorado Boulder (112)


• 2. University of Washington (110)


• 3. University of Wisconsin, Madison (107)


• 4. University of Florida (101)


• 5. University of Michigan (97)

MEDIUM COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:
Between 5,001 and 15,000 undergraduates

• 1. The George Washington University (78)


• 2. Western Washington University (73)


• 3. American University (63)


• 4. Cornell University (58)


• 5. University of Vermont (42)

SMALL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:
Less than 5,000 undergraduates

• 1. University of Mary Washington (29)


• 2. Gonzaga University (26)


• 3. Oberlin College (24)


• 3. St. Olaf College (24)


• 5. University of Puget Sound (22)


• 5. The Johns Hopkins University (22)


• 5. Lewis & Clark College (22)

GRADUATE SCHOOLS
Number of graduate alumni volunteers

• 1. University of Florida (30)


• 2. University of Washington (24)


• 3. University of Denver (16)


• 3. American University (16)


• 3. Tulane University (16)

HISTORICALLY (SINCE 1961)
Number of alumni volunteers

• 1. University of California, Berkeley (3,497)


• 2. University of Wisconsin, Madison (3,000)


• 3. University of Washington (2,738)


• 4. University of Michigan (2,458)


• 5. University of Colorado Boulder (2,317)

You can view the entire top 25 rankings for each category, as well as all-time and graduate school rankings, here. To see the 2011 top college and university rankings, click here.

*Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2011 data as of September 30, 2011, as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.

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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