UA Among Peace Corps 2019 Top Volunteer-Producing Schools

April 3, 2019
University Communications

 

The University of Arizona ranked No. 15 among large-size schools on the Peace Corps' list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities in 2019. There are 46 Wildcats currently volunteering in countries around the world.

This is the fifth year the UA has ranked among the top 20 large-size schools with more than 15,000 undergraduates. The UA made a significant jump from No. 20 in 2018 to its current No.15 position. Since the Peace Corps' founding in 1961, more than 1,640 UA alumni have served abroad as volunteers.

"We have seen time and again that the colleges and universities that produce the most Peace Corps volunteers focus on cultivating global citizens in addition to promoting scholarship," said Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen. "I am proud that so many graduates of these esteemed institutions leverage their educations to make the world a better place. They bring critical skills to communities around the world and gain hands-on, life-changing experience along the way."

Gabriel Camacho graduated from the UA in 2016 with a degree in public health and is now serving as a health volunteer in Zambia. He credits his professors and the returned Peace Corps volunteer community at UA for his inspiration to join Peace Corps.

"The University of Arizona and the public health program prepared me well for Peace Corps – especially the workshops and the returned Peace Corps volunteers that were also teaching assistants and answered my questions about the Peace Corps," Camacho said. "The classes and subjects prepared me for what issues and health problems some communities are still facing and inspired me to help others and spread the knowledge I learn from the University of Arizona."

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2018 data as of Sept. 30, 2018, as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.

View the complete 2019 rankings of the top 25 schools in each category here and find an interactive map that shows where alumni from each college and university are serving here.