The 20 colleges most committed to community service

USA TODAY
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USA Today College admits that this list is rather limited and subjective, so think of this as more as a listing of some more inspiring schools out there rather than a definitive list of the best. After all, even the tiniest of contributions still betters the world in some way and should not be discounted on basis of size.


1. Eastern Connecticut State University
At one point, this Willimantic-based liberal arts college even required 4 hours of community service per semester before students could score a dorm. The regulation may have faded away, but its commitment to bettering the world remains the same. ECSU’s Community Service department offers up some amazing opportunities for a broad selection of participants, including regular events such as the Poverty Marathon and Day of Giving.

2. Stanford University
Out of all the U.S. New and World Report Top 20 colleges and universities, Stanford devotes more of its funding to community service and outreach, with 22.3% of its work study funds going towards such programs. The Haas Center for Public Service has engaged faculty, staff, students, alumni and the global community in a varied range of stimulating activities. Since 1985, it has sponsored projects piquing the interest of pretty much anyone who drops on by; some of the latest undertakings involve autism awareness, bringing dance to prisoners and greening up South African schools.

3. St. Mary’s University
Located in San Antonio, St. Mary’s received the distinctive honor of landing on the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. For the fall semester of 2011, it’s hosting an incredibly ambitious, admirable and wholly important event — a President’s Peace Commission on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Free and open to the public, this 3-day conference hosts a series of lectures on the social justice issues surrounding America’s decade-long involvement on two fronts.

4. The California State University, Long Beach
Another President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll awardee, this Long Beach institution boasts a Center for Community Engagement brimming with opportunity. One of its most notable contributions to the world is the (STEM)2 initiative, which mentors math, science and engineering students and challenges them apply their studies to the common good — both in California and beyond its borders.

5. Augsburg College
Augsburg College in Minneapolis earned the a 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll nod for its unique approach to bettering the world. Its coursework routinely incorporates projects and ships students out into the community, and the Campus Kitchen serves over 2,000 meals yearly to low-income individuals and families.

6. Loyola University Chicago
Yet another President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll winner from 2010, this famous Catholic college provides numerous ways for its student body to assist its community.


7. San Francisco State University
At the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, participants connect directly with a plethora of different charities and causes through a private database, contributing what they can to the greater good.

8. Rollins College
Winter Park, Florida-based Rollins College also earned some love by the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll last year. Through its Office of Community Engagement, Rollins nurtures a love and appreciation of social and civic justice in the student body, with projects sending them to local, national and international destinations needing their assistance. .

9. Springfield College
Basketball may have been invented at this venerable Massachusetts institution, but its litany of community service awards — including three Jostens/NADIIIAA honors granted earlier this year — renders it remarkable.

10. St. Mary’s College of California
St. Mary’s of California, nestled in Moraga, receives a goodly amount of recognition for its dedication to the Lasallian Approach to education. Community service forms an integral cornerstone of its coursework, with faculty, staff and students all heavily encouraged to participate in social justice causes. Read The Full List

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