Ohio State among Peace Corps’ 2020 top volunteer-producing schools

April 10, 2020

The Ohio State University has ranked No. 6 among large schools on the Peace Corps’ list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities in 2020. There are 62 Buckeyes currently volunteering in countries around the world.

The university held strong at its No. 6 spot from last year’s ranking on the annual list. Consistently ranked in the top 10 for the last eight years, Buckeyes have shown their commitment to helping people in interested countries meet their need for trained men and women. The university is among three Ohio schools on the list this year.  

“These schools are institutions that emphasize being global citizens and service-minded students,” said Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen. “I am excited to know the graduates coming from Peace Corps’ Top Colleges are using their skills to make a positive impact on their communities at home and abroad.”

Since the agency’s founding in 1961, around 1,882 alumni from Ohio State have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers. There are 236 volunteers from Ohio currently serving worldwide and 7,745 Ohioans have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961.

“Everything I have done during the last two and a half years as a volunteer in central Peru has been possible because of the amazing education and opportunities that I received at Ohio State. As a student of the College of Public Health, I was always encouraged to dedicate myself to the service of others, both at home and abroad, and that the people we serve always have a lot to teach us as well; this is an attitude that I have carried with me throughout my Peace Corps experience”  --Shelby Crosier, health education volunteer

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. Below, find the top five schools in each category and the number of alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers. View the complete 2020 rankings of the top 25 schools in each category here.