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News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Peace Corps

University of Portland Ranked 9th Nationally for Peace Corps Volunteers

University of Portland is ranked 9th nationally among peer institutions as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers, according to a study released by the agency on March 20, 2019. UP currently has 12 alumni serving around the world. Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, more than 220 University graduates have become Peace Corp volunteers.

The Peace Corps annually ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities based on the size of the school. UP’s size places it among the “small school” category and is one of four Oregon universities included in this year’s rankings. Nationally, the State of Oregon ranked 4th for having the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita in 2018.

The complete 2019 list of rankings of all 25 top schools in each in each category is available here, and an interactive map of where alumni from each college and university are serving can be seen here.

University of Portland Among Peace Corps’ 2018 Top 20 Volunteer-Producing Colleges & Universities

The Peace Corps recently announced that University of Portland ranked No. 16 among small schools on the agency’s 2018 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list for the number alumni who volunteer with the international organization. There are 11 UP alumni currently volunteering worldwide with the Peace Corps. The University made a strong return to the Top Colleges list after being unranked the last two years. The college ranked No. 20 among small schools in 2015. A total of 218 alumni from The Bluff have traveled overseas to serve in the Peace Corps since its founding in 1961.

Alumni from more than 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide have served in the Peace Corps. In 2017, Oregon ranked No. 4 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers. There are 177 volunteers from Oregon currently serving worldwide, and 6,363 residents of Oregon have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding.

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. View the complete 2018 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.

University of Portland Ranks in Top 20 for Peace Corps Volunteers

PCThe University of Portland is ranked 20th nationally among its peer institutions in producing Peace Corps volunteers, according to a study released in February 2015. The University has regularly placed among the top 20 since 2010. Currently, nine undergraduate alumni are serving in the Peace Corps. Since the Peace Corps was founded in 1961, more than 200 UP alumni have served as volunteers around the world.

The University is one of two Portland-area schools to rank among the Top 25 nationally in any of the three classification groups (small schools, medium schools, and large schools), and is tied with Lewis & Clark in the small schools category. View the complete 2015 rankings of the top 25 national schools in each undergraduate category here.

Peace Corps Representative Visiting Campus Sept. 9

peace corpsA Peace Corps recruiter will be on campus all day on Tuesday, September 9, according to Pat Ell, Moreau Center. Sarah Kassel, regional Peace Corps representative for Portland, will have an information table in the Pilot House and will also make short classroom visits throughout the day. She will also host an informational session, “From Pilot to Peace Corps,” in the career services office from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. For more information contact the Moreau Center at moreau@up.edu.