Kettering University Ranked #1 for Career Outcomes as Its Century-Old Co-op Model Gains New Relevance

FLINT, Mich., March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kettering University has been ranked #1 among 780 undergraduate institutions for career outcomes by the 2025 Launchpad Rankings—surpassing all Ivy League schools, Stanford, and Duke—a distinction its president, Dr. Robert K. McMahan, attributes to a cooperative education model the university has practiced for over a century.

The job market for the class of 2026 is shaping up to be the toughest in five years, a recent survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers finds. Yet graduates of Kettering University have a markedly different trajectory: nearly all are employed within months of matriculation, according to Dr. Robert K. McMahan, president of Kettering University. With 2.5 years of professional experience earned during college, he adds that many are immediately fast-tracked into leadership positions, while peers are just entering entry-level roles. The driver behind this success is an industry-embedded model that began in 1919, with 570 corporate partners worldwide, who employ Kettering students for 22 weeks each year throughout their 4.5 years in college.

Unique Co-op Learning Model

This 50/50 academic and paid professional experience model dates back more than a century to when Kettering, as the Institute for Automobile Trades, trained workers for the fledgling automotive industry. Today, the university partners with a broad range of industries, including advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, bioengineering, computer science/cybersecurity, construction, consumer products, and energy systems.

Students begin their education by immediately entering a rotation system of 11-week intervals between on-campus learning and full-time work with corporate partners in their anticipated professional disciplines. Consequently, at any one time, half the student body is on campus, and half are working the Co-op jobs across the globe.

"Many universities in the United States have Co-op programs or internships, but what we do is very different. Our professional placements are fully integrated into the students' education," says Dr. McMahan. "And we don't do this just to provide students with experience; we do it to educate them in ways that we know can't be done in the classroom."

Through close coordination between academic and professional advisers, students' industry experience is closely integrated with their classroom learning. Students are not only gaining academic knowledge but also developing critical professional skills through hands-on experience. Dr. McMahan says the goal is mastery of some aspect of their profession. Kettering graduates are prepared to meaningfully contribute in the workforce from day one. And with students ready to walk into full-time work immediately after graduation, he notes these corporate partners have a strong hand in fostering their workforce supply chain and shaping their future leadership.

Proven Promising Career

The outcomes are measurable. Kettering graduates earn up to $100,000 while in school, which greatly minimizes loan debt, and enter the full-time workforce with the highest graduate salaries of any private university in Michigan. The Wall Street Journal ranks Kettering among the nation's top schools for career preparation, while the 2025 Launchpad Rankings placed it first among 780 undergraduate institutions, including all Ivy League schools, Stanford, and Duke. 

The New York Times ranked Kettering number one among 71 private institutions for social mobility, measuring students who move from the fifth economic quintile to the first by age 35.

This success follows them through their careers: Dr. McMahan notes that Kettering grads are presidents or CEOs of nearly a dozen major corporations, and about 1,500—the same size as the student body—have filled major C-suite positions.

"We represent what a lot of people are saying is what higher education should be, how it should work, what it should produce. We've actually been doing that for a hundred years, quietly up here in Michigan," Dr. McMahan concludes.

About Kettering University

Founded over a century ago in Flint, Michigan, Kettering University offers an innovative educational experience that combines academic learning with professional practice. The university is a recognized leader in STEM education, preparing students for leadership roles across various industries. Kettering's commitment to hands-on, experiential learning sets it apart from traditional educational models, providing students with unparalleled career opportunities.

Contact

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