2012 Peace Corps top colleges rankings

Tufts ranks no. 15 in Peace Corps medium size school rankings

Tufts University ranks No. 15 on the 2012 top Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the medium size category. There are currently 31 undergraduate alumni serving overseas. Last year, Tufts University had 20 alumni volunteers and was not included in the 2011 rankings.

Since the agency was founded in 1961, 517 Tufts University alumni have served in the Peace Corps.

“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.”

Tufts University alumni are currently serving as volunteers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Ukraine.  They work in areas including Education, Environment, Health and HIV/AIDS, Business Development and Youth Development.

Other Boston area colleges and universities made the 2012 rankings including Boston University, which is No. 16 among large schools; Boston College, which is No. 7 among medium size schools; and Wellesley College, which is No. 10 among small schools nationwide.

The Peace Corps’ nine regional recruiting offices across the United States work to recruit and provide information and guidance to prospective volunteers. Applicants are encouraged to apply for Peace Corps service one year in advance of their targeted departure date. Americans with backgrounds in agriculture, environment, teaching English as a second language, and other technical or language skills related to Peace Corps assignment areas are encouraged to apply.

You can view the entire top 25 rankings for each school size category, as well as all-time and graduate school rankings here. The following are the top five colleges and universities in each undergraduate category and the number of undergraduate alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers:

LARGE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:
1. University of Colorado at 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:
1. The George Washington University           78

2. Western Washington University                 73

3. American University                                   63

4. Cornell University                                       58

5. The University of Vermont                         42

SMALL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:

1. University of Mary Washington                 29

2. Gonzaga University                                    26

3. Oberlin College & Conservatory                24

St. Olaf College                                              24

5. University of Puget Sound                         22

The Johns Hopkins University                        22

Lewis & Clark College                                   22

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing schools annually according to the size of the student body. Small schools have less than 5,000 undergraduates, medium-sized schools have between 5,001 and 15,000 undergraduates and large schools have more than 15,000 undergraduates. The 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 agency’s 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.