Tufts Ranks 15th on Peace Corps List

The following was provided by Tufts University Spokesperson Katherine Cinnamond:

Tufts University ranks No. 15 on the 2012 top Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the medium size category, according to a list recently released by the Peace Corps. A total of 31 undergraduate Tufts alumni are currently 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. “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."

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.

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 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.