Another Big Ten school overtakes Penn State for largest alumni base in country
A Big Ten school this week announced it ranked No. 1 for the largest living alumni community in the country — and it wasn’t Penn State.
Indiana University in Bloomington said in a press release Tuesday the university has the largest living alumni network nationwide, with more than 805,000 living alumni around the world. More than half of the alumni live in Indiana, the release states.
Penn State was previously known to have the largest alumni base; the Penn State Alumni Association’s data shows there were 802,556 living alumni as of July 1.
A Penn State spokesperson did not immediately respond for comment.
Other universities with top alumni networks include University of Michigan with 697,287 alumni, University of California, Los Angeles with more than 670,000 alumni, Ohio State, University of Texas at Austin and Purdue University each with more than 600,000 alumni.
In the release, J T. Forbes, president and CEO of the Indiana University Foundation and interim chief alumni officer, applauded the university’s alumni and their contributions worldwide.
“With a network larger than any other university, IU alumni form a powerful global network for good,” Forbes said. “They embody the best of IU as they make a difference in their fields and communities worldwide. We are grateful for all they do for Indiana University and one another.”
The Penn State alumni association is the largest dues-paying membership organization of its kind worldwide, with nearly 173,000 members, according to its website.
Pennsylvania is home to the most Penn State alumni, with 402,876 alums, followed by New Jersey with 37,582 and New York at 30,544, according to maps on the alumni association’s website.
Pennsylvania’s most PSU alumni-populated counties are Allegheny County (33,814), Montgomery County (33,320) and Centre County, home to the University Park campus (24,203).
