Today, the Peace Corps announced that the University of California, Davis, ranked No. 14 among large schools on the agency’s 2016 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. There are 36 Aggies currently volunteering worldwide.

This is the second year that UC Davis has held the No. 14 spot in the rankings among the top large schools and the 15th consecutive year in the top 25. In total, six schools in the UC system are ranked on the list of top 25 large universities this year.

“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 1,467 Aggies. UC Davis ranks among the top-20 volunteer-producing colleges and universities of all time.

UC Davis also has five Peace Corps Master’s International programs. The program allows students the opportunity to integrate a master's degree with service abroad.

Katy Berrey, a UC Davis alum serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia, felt that her education and experiences at UC Davis have helped her develop successful community-based programs abroad.

“The overall atmosphere of personal growth, collaboration, and intellectual curiosity at Davis developed me into a resilient person who appreciates cultural differences, looks for resources, and enjoys motivating others to help themselves,” Berrey said. “My study of sociology and communication made for deeper understanding of how people can work together. My work as a resident adviser and as a peer adviser in the College of Letters and Science gave me practical experience that is directly applicable to the community and youth development work I am doing now.”

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 West Region recruitment office at sfinfo@peacecorps.gov.

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. View the complete 2016 rankings of the top 25 schools in each undergraduate category.

Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2015 data as of Sept. 30, 2015, as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers. More information.