The University of Vermont was named one of the nation's "Top Peace Corps Volunteer Producing Colleges and Universities" again this year, placing it among the top 25 in the country.

With 29 undergraduate alumni and four graduate school alumni currently serving as Peace Corp volunteers, UVM ranked 11th among medium-sized colleges and universities, moving up from last year's placement as 15th, according to the Peace Corps. These individuals continue a long tradition of Peace Corp service at UVM, as 732 alums have volunteered over the past 47 years.

"UVM has developed a tradition of being one of the top universities for producing Peace Corps Volunteers," says Jeff Frank, the Peace Corps recruiter for the Burlington area. "The university's Community Development and Applied Economics department makes the PC accessible for UVM students everyday by hosting the local Peace Corps recruiting office in Morrill Hall."

Schools were ranked according to size of the student body with UVM falling in the medium category of 5,001 to 15,000 students. The University of Washington ranked first in the large school category; George Washington was first in the medium school category; the University of Chicago was the top small school; and Boston University was first among graduate schools. UVM was the top New England public school in its category, while Boston College was the top private school from the region.

Since its inception in 1961 when President Kennedy called upon America's youth to serve their country by volunteering to live and work in developing countries, the Peace Corps has received volunteers from more than 3,000 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico. Nationally, the average age of a volunteer is 28 with 96 percent having at least an undergraduate degree. About 91 percent of volunteers are single and 58 percent female. The majority work in the areas of education and health/HIV AIDS; other areas include business development and the environment.