According to the Peace Corps’ 2026 rankings, the UW led all large universities in producing volunteers this year. That distinction is not especially surprising, given the long relationship between the two. Badger alumni have ventured into the world to teach, learn, and collaborate across cultures since the Peace Corps began in 1961. Some of the first UW alumni to serve headed to locations such as Ghana, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. More recently, grads are currently posted in Benin, North Macedonia, and the Dominican Republic. Even for those who don’t join the agency, the urge to seek out cultural experiences abroad sticks. UW–Madison also ranks highly in total study abroad participation and the number of students who participate continues to grow every year. They join more than 3,400 Badgers who’ve served as Peace Corps volunteers worldwide, placing the university second all-time in total volunteers, just behind the University of California, Berkeley. For many Badgers, taking on what the Peace Corps calls the “toughest job they’ll ever love” is one way they put the Wisconsin Idea into action.

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