WWU recognized for alumni Peace Corps volunteers; ranks sixth on list of medium-sized universities

Western Washington University ranks sixth among the top medium-sized colleges and universities with alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 2009.

“Making a difference has long been a hallmark of Western’s students, and our alumni continue to carry that forward, as this Peace Corps ranking clearly demonstrates,” said WWU President Bruce Shepard.

Since the inception of the Peace Corps, almost 800 Western alumni have served as volunteers; thirty-eight Western alumni currently are serving.

In the rankings for medium-sized schools, George Washington University tops the list. Western also has more alumni serving than a number of notable schools, including Boston College, Northwestern University, Georgetown University, University of Notre Dame, Syracuse University, Georgia Tech, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University.

Colleges and universities are ranked according to size of the student body. Small schools are those with less than 5,000 undergraduates, medium-sized schools are those with between 5,001 and 15,000 students and large schools are those with more than 15,000 students. To view the entire list, visit the Peace Corps Web site at PeaceCorps.gov.

Other highly ranked schools in Washington include the University of Washington, ranked first among large schools, and University of Puget Sound, fourth in the small schools category.