WASHINGTON, February 18, 2016 – Today, the Peace Corps announced that the University of Rhode Island (URI) ranked No. 25 among medium-sized schools on the agency’s 2016 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. This is the first time since 2007 that URI has appeared on the annual list, with 13 alumni currently volunteering worldwide.

“The Peace Corps is a unique opportunity for college graduates to put their education into practice and become agents of change in communities around the world,” Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said. “Today’s graduates understand the importance of intercultural understanding and are raising their hands in record numbers to take on the challenge of international service.”

Alumni from more than 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961, including 416 URI alumni.

This year’s rankings follow a 40-year high in applications for the Peace Corps in 2015. This record-breaking number of applicants comes after the first full year that the agency’s historic application and recruitment reforms have been in place. Applicants will now find a simplified, more personal application process, and can learn more by reaching out to the New York regional recruitment office at nyinfo@peacecorps.gov.

View the complete 2016 rankings of the top 25 schools in each undergraduate category here.

Contact: Dan Ingala, East Region Public Affairs, 212.352.5469, dingala@peacecorps.gov