Correction appended
The Peace Corps named AU the third largest volunteer-producing, middle-sized university in the country Feb. 11. AU lost its No. 2 slot to the University of Virginia by a single student.
AU has fluctuated between second and third place since 2009 with the exception of 2011, when it was in fourth place.
AU currently has 43 alumni serving in the Peace Corps across 27 countries, including Senegal, Benin, Ethiopia and Peru. Among AU graduates, 940 have served in the Peace Corps since its inception in 1961, according to the Peace Corps.
Western Washington University sent the most alumni to the Peace Corps with 65 volunteers currently abroad.
George Washington University sits one place below AU with 41 current volunteers, followed by Cornell University and the University of Vermont with 29 volunteers each.
President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in 1961 shortly after his inauguration “to help foreign countries meet their urgent needs with skilled manpower.”
Correction: A former headline stated “AU drops to No. 3 in Peace Corps alumni,” which is incorrect. The headline has been corrected to reflect the study only includes alumni currently enrolled in the Peace Corps.
