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.
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.
