Points of Pride

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Bulldog Pride

See what sets Kettering apart and sets our students up for success

Since our founding in 1919, Kettering University has been preparing students for lives of extraordinary leadership and service by linking transformative experiential learning and cooperative education opportunities to rigorous academic programs in engineering, science, and business. As we carry on Kettering’s legacy into our second century, we—our programs and our students—receive consistent recognition for quality, achievement, and success.

 

 

 

 

 
 

No one else does co-op like Kettering.

Learning as students, earning as professionals, our undergrads rotate between the classroom and real-life work experiences in 12-week terms throughout their time at Kettering as part of our innovative cooperative education program. The intensive program begins in a student's first year-and gives our graduates a jump-start on their chosen careers.
  • 2.5 years: Amount of work experience our students achieve by graduation.
  • $16.84: Average hourly co-op earnings for first-year students. 
  • $20.31: Average hourly co-op earnings for seniors.
  • 400: Number of partners employing our students.

Education that makes financial sense

Maximizing students’ investments in education is important toFinancial Sense us. We want students to begin their professional lives on a financial foundation that supports them until retirement. Beginning with our co-op program through post-graduation earning potential, a Kettering education facilitates lifetime financial stability.

  • Our graduates receive an average of an 8% annualized return on their investment, according to collegefactual.com.
  • 32% of our graduates pay off their federal student loan debt within two years after beginning repayment, according to the Department of Education.
  • Graduates begin their careers earning an average of $66,000 per year, according to collegefactual.com.
  • $93,893: The median earnings of former students who received federal financial aid at 10 years after entering the school, according to the Department of Education.
Technology Advancement

Fueling technological advancements

From autonomous vehicles, off-road cars and intelligent vehicles to Esports and combat robotics, Kettering students put their cutting-edge engineering knowledge to the test against their peers across the country as members of our many competition teams.

  • 2024: Kettering takes home 'Build Award' from the VEX Robotics World Championship.
  • 2023: Varsity "Rainbow Six Siege" team wins National Esports Collegiate Conference National Championship in just the third year of the Esports program.
  • 2023: Kettering AutoDrive team Bulldog Bolt finishes third in Mobility Innovation at AutoDrive II Challenge.
  • 2023: Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition team finishes third in the Self-Drive Challenge and fourth in the Self-Drive Design/Presentation at the 30th Annual IGVC at Oakland University in Rochester.
  • 2023: VEX U team KUdos captures the Sportsmanship Award at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas.
  • 2023 EV Kartz team wins first place in the engineering design category, is named the most technologically advanced team and places third in the 50-lap head-to-head kart race at the annual evGrandPrix in West Lafayette, Indiana, on its way to second place overall.
  • 2022: Bulldog Bolt team placed second in AutoDrive Challenge’s Dynamic Obstacle Challenge for autonomous vehicles. 
  • 2022: Dr. Diane Peters, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, named Advisor of the Year at AutoDrive Challenge.
  • 2022: Kettering placed second in the Self-Drive Challenge, earned a grand award and placed fourth in the Self-Drive Design Competition at the 2022 Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition.
  • 2022: Kettering's Formula Society of Automotive Engineers [SAE] team finished fourth overall, fifth in the autocross and endurance events, sixth in the acceleration event, and seventh in the fuel-efficiency event at the Formula SAE Michigan event.
  • 2022: Formula SAE Team won the SAE Collegiate Cup at the SAE Mid Michigan’s National Engineers Week Annual Banquet in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Improving our community

A true measure of Kettering's success is the success of our community in Flint, Michigan. For more than a century, serving the community has been a pillar of the Kettering experience. We are committed to improving the lives of the people we call neighbors and the place we call home.

Improving the community

 

  • University Avenue Corridor Coalition: As part of the UACC, Kettering has been instrumental in the transformation of Flint into an attractive and safe community that is conducive to sustainable development. Our students, faculty members and staff work side by side with residents in a variety of year-round cleanup, repair and improvement projects in the community.
  • Service Saturdays: These community service events take place throughout the year. They promote civic engagement among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and cooperative education partners who take part in neighborhood cleanups, small repair projects, food bank assistance, and many other efforts. Today, Service Saturdays are an integral part of orientation to introduce our new students to our commitment to community vitality.
  • Community improvement: At the university level, Kettering is actively involved in a number of regional coalitions, community organizations, professional groups and philanthropic efforts. Learn more here.
  • COVID-19 leadership: Kettering stepped up to help guide the community—and the country—through the pandemic starting in 2020. A group of faculty members and students used their skills and our 3D-printing equipment to make masks and personal protection equipment for local organizations. Atwood Stadium served as a drive-through COVID-19 testing site in a partnership with Hurley Medical Center. Four alumnae contributed the skills and knowledge they gained at Kettering to the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine at Par Pharmaceutical in Rochester, Michigan.

Notable alumni leading the way

Our graduates leave Kettering with the drive and the knowledge to solve real-world problems and lead with innovation in a range of industries and markets. They are making their mark in the business world.

  • Keith Allman ’85, President and CEO, Masco
  • Mary Barra ’85, Chairman and CEO of General Motors.
  • Paul Bascobert ’87, President, Reuters
  • Michael Chrzanowski ’90, President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Corp
  • Peter Deppe ’19, Co-founder KUHMUTE, a multi-modal charging network for micromobility.
  • Brady Ericson ’94, President and CEO at PHINIA
  • Lori Flees ’93, CEO and Director at Valvoline Inc.
  • Gerald Johnson ’85, Retired Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability at General Motors.
  • Jennifer Johnson ’99, Vice President of Operations, Lear
  • Robert C. Kagle ’78, Co-founder and General Partner of Benchmark Capital.
  • Sean McBurney ’03, Regional President at Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
  • Thomas G. Plaskett* ’68, Former executive in the airline industry; father of the frequent flyer program.

National and regional rankings

2025Rankings