The University of Colorado Boulder is ranked No. 4 in the nation for graduates serving as Peace Corps volunteers with 93 alumni currently serving around the world, the Peace Corps announced today.
Since 2004, CU-Boulder has held a position in the top four among institutions of similar size. CU-Boulder is the fifth highest volunteer-producing university of all time with 2,353 undergraduate alumni having served in the program since it was established in 1961.
“CU-Boulder is a consistent top performer for Peace Corps and our team is proud of the university, their leadership and students,†said Mike McKay, southwest regional manager for Peace Corps. “This school is always providing highly qualified and competitive applicants who are committed to service and making a difference in their local communities and communities abroad.â€
The University of Michigan, also with 93 volunteers, ties with CU-Boulder on the Peace Corps’ 2013 Top Colleges list. The University of Washington and the University of Florida both ranked No. 1 with 107 volunteers each. The University of Wisconsin-Madison ranked No. 3 with 103 volunteers.
“CU-Boulder students and alumni have a legacy of service,†said Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “AÌýnational Peace Corps leader year after year, it brings great honor and pride to the CU-Boulder community as our service-oriented students go on to become citizens of the world.â€
The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing schools annually according to the size of the student body. Large schools have more than 15,000 undergraduates, medium-sized schools have between 5,000 and 15,000 undergraduates, and small schools have fewer than 5,000 undergraduates.
Western Washington University ranked first among medium-sized schools with 73 undergraduate alumni currently serving and Gonzaga University ranked highest among small schools with 24 undergraduate alumni serving.
“We’re very pleased to have ranked in the top four for Peace Corps for a decade now,†said Peter Simons, director of CU-Boulder’s Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement, which offers numerous service learning programs for students. “It shows our unwavering commitment to service and advancing communities.â€
In 2010, CU-Boulder became part of the Peace Corps Master’s International program, which allows volunteers to combine Peace Corps service with a master’s degree program and receive credit for their Peace Corps service abroad.
For volunteer profiles and an interactive photo map visit . For more information about the Peace Corps at CU-Boulder, call the campus recruiting office at 303-492-8454 or visit . For more information about CU-Boulder’s Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement visit .
FACT SHEET
CU-Boulder Peace Corps Volunteers
• CU-Boulder is ranked No. 4 in the nation for graduates serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 2013 with 93 undergraduate alumni currently serving.
• CU-Boulder is ranked the No. 5 all-time school for volunteers with 2,353 alumni who have served in the Peace Corps since it was established in 1961.
• Each year since 2004, CU-Boulder has ranked in the top four schools in the nation for Peace Corps volunteers -- two times as the No. 1 school, three times as the No. 2 school, four times at No. 3 and one time at No. 4.
• The Peace Corps is one of 12 campus programs overseen by CU-Boulder’s Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement.
• The CU-Boulder academic experience stresses rigorous coursework and hands-on research opportunities, enabling undergraduate and graduate students to put their knowledge to use through a variety of critical thinking, leadership development and service learning opportunities.
• CU-Boulder is one of a select group of public and private universities nationwide participating in the Peace Corps Master’s International program.
