Carleton Ranks Second in Peace Corps Volunteers

Carleton College moved up to the No. 2 position on Peace Corps' annual list of the top volunteer-producing small colleges and universities across the United States. With 17 alumni currently serving overseas as Peace Corps volunteers, the school made its fourth consecutive appearance on the list, according to information provided by Eric Sieger, Carleton's director of media and public relations. Carleton ranked second behind Gonzaga University in Washington and its 20 alumni among schools and universities with 5,000 or less undergraduate students. Since the agency was created in 1961, 496 Carleton graduates have been Peace Corps volunteers.

Three other Minnesota colleges earned recognition. For large schools, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranks fifth with 63 volunteers. In the small-school category, Macalester College of St. Paul comes in at No. 5 with 15 volunteers, and the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph ranks No. 20 with nine volunteers.

The 2014 rankings follow historic reforms to the Peace Corps application and selection process, which resulted in a 22-year application high for the agency. Through a one-hour online application, applicants can now choose the countries and programs they'd like to be considered for. Graduating college students are encouraged to browse open programs and apply by April 1 for assignments departing in the fall of this year.