University of Vermont, Middlebury College again among top Peace Corps volunteer producers
The University of Vermont and Middlebury College were once again ranked among the top cumulative producers of Peace Corps volunteers in the nation based on size, according to a list published by the Peace Corps in April. Middlebury’s graduate school, the Institute of International Studies at Monterey, also landed at the top of the list.
Vermont as a state is also one of the highest producers of Peace Corps volunteers in the country per capita, snagging second place in 2019 behind Washington, D.C. The Burlington-South Burlington area in particular placed forth out of all metropolitan areas in the U.S that year.
Since the Peace Corps began in 1961, close to a quarter million people nationwide have volunteered for the international service organization in 144 countries. UVM, which placed third out of all medium-sized colleges and universities this year, has contributed 833 of those volunteers in six decades. Middlebury, which ranked fifth out of all small institutions, has contributed 416 volunteers. Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey boasts 101.
This year’s rankings are based on Peace Corps data from Sept. 30, 2023.
Currently, 16 UVM alumni are serving in the Peace Corps, with more in the application phase, according to Peace Corps spokesperson Milton Rivera. Middlebury had three alumni enter the Peace Corps last year, according to Middlebury spokesperson Jon Reidel.
How Vermont’s top-ranking schools compare to their peers in 2024
Top Large Colleges and Universities: More than 15,000 Undergraduates Enrolled
- University of California, Berkeley – 2,862 volunteers
- University of Wisconsin-Madison – 2,766
- University of Washington – 2,342
- University of Colorado, Boulder – 2,131
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor – 2,065
- Michigan State University – 2,004
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – 1,674
- The University of Texas at Austin – 1,549
- The Ohio State University – 1,523
- University of California, Santa Barbara – 1,510
Top Medium Colleges and Universities: Between 5,000 and 15,000 Undergraduates Enrolled
- Western Washington University – 932
- University of Notre Dame – 843
- University of Vermont – 833
- Yale University – 790
- University of Montana – 760
- California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt – 758
- American University – 751
- William & Mary – 662
- University of New Hampshire – 633
- Dartmouth College – 605
Top Small Colleges and Universities: Fewer than 5,000 Undergraduates Enrolled
- Oberlin College and Conservatory – 509
- Carleton College – 504
- St. Olaf College – 483
- Oregon Health & Science University – 444
- Middlebury College – 416
- Grinnell College – 370
- Colorado College – 365
- Macalester College – 362
- Smith College – 360
- Lewis & Clark College – 348
Top Graduate Schools
Large: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor – 558
Medium: University of Denver – 305
Small: Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey – 101
Why do Vermont schools produce so many Peace Corps volunteers?
In a Vermont Public story from August 2022, Peace Corps CEO Carol Spahn speculated that the Green Mountain State likely sends so many residents abroad because “people in Vermont are very interested in connection across difference and being globally connected and have a strong service mindset.”
UVM and Middlebury reps have expressed similar sentiments about their own students in the past.
“This ranking confirms what we know about our students and alumni: they’re motivated, hard-working, and dedicated to making the world a better place,” said Tom Sullivan, UVM’s then-president, in a 2019 press release announcing the university’s sixth place ranking among medium-sized schools.
Middlebury alum Nicolas Sebastian said his alma mater’s high ranking can be attributed to the school’s prioritization of global awareness and language learning, and its desire to instill in students a “sense of responsibility to serve as positive agents of change throughout the world.” He added that social activism is a staple among the student body.
“Middlebury and its graduates fight for progress, and this is the reason time and time again our presence is felt so abundantly within the Peace Corps,” Cortez said.
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.