KU leaps upward, ranks 18th in nation for producing Peace Corps volunteers

The University of Kansas has jumped up into the top 20 nationally among large colleges and universities for the number of alumni who serve in the Peace Corps. Each year Peace Corps Week is celebrated during the first week of March.  March 1, 2006, marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps.  

KU now ranks 18th in the nation with 52 alumni serving as volunteers. KU ranked 23rd in the nation in 2004 with 41 volunteers serving in the Peace Corps, a marked increase over 2002’s 29. KU’s jump in the rankings was the largest among universities with more than 15,000 enrolled students.

When ranked according to the number of alumni volunteers with advanced degrees, KU ranks 15th in the nation with nine alumni.

Betty Baron, KU’s Peace Corps coordinator and a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia from 1966 to 1968, attributes the continuing rise in KU volunteers to the unique opportunities the Peace Corps offers students.

“Many students at the University of Kansas are interested in working toward meaningful goals while gaining international experience,” Baron said.

Since Peace Corps’ inception, 815 Jayhawks have joined the Peace Corps ranks, making KU the No. 38 producer of volunteers of all time.

The top university, for the 20th straight year, is the University of Wisconsin with 104 volunteers, followed closely by the University of Washington with 102. Schools are ranked according to the size of the student body. To view the entire 2006 “Top Producing Colleges and Universities” list, visit the Peace Corps Web site. Last year’s rankings, for comparison purposes, can be found here.

Although it is not a requirement for service, the majority of volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps over the past 44 years have been college graduates. Currently, 96 percent of volunteers have at least an undergraduate degree, with 13 percent of those also possessing a graduate level degree.

Since 1961, more than 182,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corps, working in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, information technology, business development, the environment and agriculture. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment.