Carleton Ranks in Top 20 for Peace Corps Volunteers in 2008

Carleton ranks 20th in the number of Peace Corps volunteers for 2008, as the College produced 15 alumni volunteers last year to push its cumulative alumni Peace Corps volunteer number past the 500 mark. Last year Carleton had 22 volunteers, and ranking fifth highest among small colleges and universities. Carleton had been ranked third among small colleges in producing volunteers in the period 1961-2005, with 426 volunteers, according to the last cumulative report available. Incorporating recent numbers, Carleton has produced more than 500 Peace Corps volunteers from 1961-2008.

27 January 2009 Posted In:

Northfield, Minn.–– Carleton College ranks 20th in the number of Peace Corps volunteers for 2008, as the College produced 15 alumni volunteers last year to push its cumulative alumni Peace Corps volunteer number past the 500 mark.

Carleton produced 15 volunteers during the past year, placing it on the Peace Corps “Top Colleges and Universities” list for small colleges and universities. The University of Chicago topped the list with 35 alumni volunteers, followed by Carleton’s Northfield neighbor, St. Olaf College, with 26 volunteers. Macalester College (19, 9th) and Gustavus Adolphus College (18, 10th) also made the small colleges and universities list from Minnesota, while the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities tied for ninth with 65 volunteers on the large colleges and universities list.

Last year Carleton had 22 volunteers, and ranking fifth highest among small colleges and universities. Carleton had been ranked third among small colleges in producing volunteers in the period 1961-2005, with 426 volunteers, according to the last cumulative report available. Incorporating recent numbers, Carleton has produced more than 500 Peace Corps volunteers from 1961-2008.

Since its inception in 1961, the Peace Corps has received volunteers from over 3,000 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico.

“The Peace Corps provides a unique opportunity for graduates to use their education and skills, and apply them in the real world,” said Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter. “I am proud to know that over 3,000 institutions of higher learning are currently represented by Peace Corps volunteers serving in 76 countries overseas. These institutions can be proud of the contributions that their graduates are making in improving the lives of others around the globe.”

Schools are ranked according to the size of the student body. Small schools are those with less than 5,000 undergraduates, medium-sized schools have between 5,001 and 15,000 undergraduates, and large schools more than 15,000 undergraduates. The entire “Peace Corps Top Colleges and Universities” list for 2009 is available at http://www.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/stats/schools2009.pdf.