Peace Corps’ Top Volunteer Schools 2020: CU Boulder Makes List

BOULDER, CO — Peace Corps, the international volunteer program run by the U.S. government, recently announced its 2020 ranking of the top participant-producing colleges and universities in the nation.

The included schools were sorted into large, medium or small categories, as well as a graduate school and an all-time category.

The University of Colorado Boulder ranked No. 5 in the 'All Time Since 1961' category with 2,556 alumni joining the Peace Corps over the past 59 years.

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Since the founding of the Peace Corps in 1961, the University of California Berkeley has had the most graduates join the program with 3,741. The top five all-time schools are rounded out by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Washington, University of Michigan and the University of Colorado.

“These schools are institutions that emphasize being global citizens and service-minded students,” said Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen in a news release about the rankings. “I am excited to know the graduates coming from Peace Corps’ top colleges are using their skills to make a positive impact on their communities at home and abroad.”

The University of Wisconsin-Madison led the way in the “Large Colleges & Universities” category for a second year in a row, with 79 graduates joining the Peace Corps ranks in 2019. On the other hand, George Washington University finished in the No. 1 spot for both the “Medium Colleges & Universities” category and the “Graduate Schools” category.

The Peace Corps describes the program on its official website as a “service opportunity for motivated change makers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.”

Here are the top five schools that had the most alumni join the Peace Corps in 2019 from the “Large College & Universities” category:

1. University of Wisconsin-Madison: 79
2. University of Florida: 70
3. University of Virginia: 68
4. University of Maryland - College Park: 68
5. University of Georgia: 64

The full rankings of schools included are available on the Peace Corps website.