Peace Corps names Tulane No. 1 producer of volunteers for 2018

Rachel "Marie" Davis. Peace Corps Botswana. MI Graduate Spring 2016. 

For the fourth consecutive year, Tulane University is ranked first among graduate schools for the number of volunteers who join the Peace Corps. There are 27 alumni currently serving, 22 from the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

In addition to leading the graduate school pack, Tulane also ranks No. 5 among medium undergraduate schools with the most Peace Corps volunteers. This ranking is up from No. 10 in 2017 and is based on the 33 alumni volunteering worldwide.

“Our continued ranking as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers is a source of intense pride for Tulane University,” said Tulane President Mike Fitts. “Using the knowledge and skills acquired through interdisciplinary studies to develop innovative solutions to global problems is a central part of a Tulane education. This makes the Peace Corps and Tulane a perfect match.”

“Our continued ranking as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers is a source of intense pride for Tulane University.”

—Tulane President Mike Fitts

The annual list of Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities released Wednesday by the Peace Corps has ranked Tulane among the top producers every year since 2011. Since the agency’s founding in 1961, 587 Tulane graduates have served in communities around the world.

SPHTM alumnae Rachel Davis and Bibiana Oe are currently serving as Clinic Health Team Volunteers in Botswana. 

Rachel Davis believes her Tulane coursework prepared her for PC service "by providing a comprehensive public health education with a range of global examples in each course.  My degree combined both technical skills and theories, which has given me an essential platform for my whole service - from the importance of integration and cultural sensitivity to the details related to the program planning and M&E. While my coursework has been profoundly helpful, living in the sometimes challenging, always entertaining, and diverse New Orleans taught me how to tackle problems with patience and perseverance, and the importance of investing in people to reach your goals."

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities according to the size of the student body. Large colleges consist of more than 15,000 undergraduates, medium colleges have between 5,000 and 15,000, and small colleges are those with fewer than 5,000 students.

View the complete 2018 rankings of the top 25 schools in each category here and find an interactive map that shows where alumni from each college and university are serving here.

Medium Colleges & Universities – Total Volunteers:
Between 5,000 and 15,000 undergraduates

1.    George Washington University – 50
2.    American University – 49
3.    College of William and Mary – 35
4.    University of Montana – 34
5.    Tulane University – 33

Graduate Schools – Total Volunteers:

1. Tulane University – 27
2. American University – 19
3. University of South Florida – 16
4. George Washington University – 15
5. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor – 14
5. Columbia University – 14
5. University of Denver – 14