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

Western Washington University ranks third among the top medium-sized colleges and universities with alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 2010.

“Western graduates change lives for the better in many ways, and this Peace Corps ranking is a demonstration of that commitment by our alumni to make the world a better place,” said WWU President Bruce Shepard.

Since the inception of the Peace Corps, more than 800 Western alumni have served as volunteers; 60 Western alumni currently are serving.

In the rankings for medium-sized schools, George Washington University tops the list, followed by the University of Virginia and then Western, which jumped to third from sixth place in the Peace Corps’ rankings for 2009. And Western also has more alumni serving than a number of notable schools, including American University, Cornell University, Boston College, Northwestern University, Georgetown University, University of Notre Dame, Syracuse University, Duke University, and Brown 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 website.