For the 11th year in a row, the University of Notre Dame is ranked among the nation’s top 25 medium-sized universities (those with undergraduate enrollments between 5,000 and 15,000) producing Peace Corps volunteers. With 25 alumni currently serving in the Peace Corps, Notre Dame is ranked 18th on the list.
Notre Dame moved up five spots this year on the list from its position last year.
According to Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams, the alumni “are applying the skills and knowledge they acquired during their time at the University of Notre Dame to help improve the lives of people across the globe. They are making important contributions to grass-roots projects in agriculture, education, the environment, health and HIV/AIDS education and prevention, small business development, and youth development.”
Notre Dame’s association with the Peace Corps goes back to the agency’s founding in 1961, when the very first volunteers were trained on campus. Since then, more than 800 Notre Dame graduates have entered the Peace Corps, more than from any other Catholic college or university.
On the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary, more than 200,000 Americans have answered its call to service and have provided assistance to communities in 139 countries. With more than 8,600 volunteers currently serving overseas—a 40-year high in the number of volunteers—the Peace Corps is now engaged in 77 countries.
The complete “Peace Corps Top Colleges 2011” list is available on the Peace Corps website.