For the second straight year, CU-Boulder is ranked No. 1 in the nation for graduates serving as Peace Corps volunteers with 112 undergraduate alumni currently serving around the world.
“Our No. 1 Peace Corps ranking for volunteer service is tangible evidence of something we have always known: our students and graduates are service-oriented and down-to-earth, working tirelessly to benefit communities around the globe,” said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “It emphasizes how CU-Boulder’s civically engaged students go on to become service-oriented citizens at home and abroad.”
Each year since 2004, CU-Boulder has ranked in the top three schools in the nation for Peace Corps volunteers -- three times as the No. 2 school and four times at No. 3.
“We have a track record of attracting adventurous students who also have a hunger to serve, particularly in underdeveloped nations,” said Peter Simons, director of CU-Boulder’s Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement (IECE).
The Peace Corps is one of 12 programs overseen by IECE.
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.
In the 50 years since the Peace Corps was founded, more than 200,000 volunteers have fanned out across the globe working on everything from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation. More than 2,300 CU-Boulder alumni have served as Peace Corps volunteers, No. 5 all-time.
