Points of Pride
See how we aim higher, work harder, and achieve greater.
At Kettering University, we don’t just prepare students for a career— we empower them to lead and innovate from day one. Highly ranked nationally in engineering and Co-op programs, Kettering students earn $50-75k through 2.5 years paid professional experience, win national championships, and drive innovations that shape the future.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Our Co-op program prepares students to gain a career while they attend classes so they can leave an impact that matters.
Amount of work experience our students achieve by graduation.
Number of partners employing our students.
Median starting salary of Kettering graduates, the highest in Michigan, according to SmartAsset.
We Compete — and Win
Kettering students compete against the best — and win. See our latest accomplishments!
2024: Build Award
The Kettering University VEX U team, KUdos, claimed a Build Award at the 2024 VEX Robotics World Championship.
2023: NECC National Champion
Kettering’s varsity “Rainbow Six Siege” team won the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) National Championship in just the third year of the Esports program.
2023: Hack Dearborn Winner
Ansh Suryavanshi ’25 used the experience he gained at Kettering to win the Hack Dearborn: Disrupt Reality hackathon event with his project “RoadEntertainment.”
2023: AutoDrive Challenge II Third Place
Kettering’s Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition team finished third in the Self-Drive Challenge and fourth in the Self-Drive Design/Presentation.
2023: evGrandPrix Top Two
Our EV Kartz team placed first in the engineering design category and was named the most technologically advanced team. The team finished second overall and placed third in the 50-lap head-to-head kart race.
2022: SAE Collegiate Cup Winner
The Kettering Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) team won the 2022 SAE Collegiate Cup. The team also won the award in 2021.
Partnerships in the Southeast Michigan Metro Corridor and Beyond
Partnerships in the Southeast Michigan Metro Corridor and Beyond
Our work drives economic growth across Michigan, the country and around the world. See how local and global businesses and organizations offer real-world experiences for our students and invigorate our state.
We Stand by Our Accomplishments
Kettering University students, faculty, staff, and alumni lead and explore fearlessly — resulting in our renowned reputation.
While accolades do not tell the whole story of a university, they do provide valuable insights. Browse Kettering’s rankings from respected publications and organizations:
U.S. News & World Report | 2025
- #7: Regional Universities Midwest
- #18: Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (non-doctorate)
- #20: Co-ops/Internships
- #1: Graduates' starting salaries in Michigan
- #4: Best Value Colleges in Michigan
- A Best Value College
- One of the Best 390 Colleges in the country
- One of the Best Midwest colleges
- #3: Best Value College in Michigan
- 4-star school: The Best Colleges in America
- #30: Colleges with the Best Bang for your Buck
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency | 2023-2024
- Silver status: Veteran-Friendly School
Kettering graduates hit the ground running on a fast track to meaningful career growth and real-world impact. Through our renowned Co-op program, students gain hands-on experience while earning a salary, positioning them to advance quickly in their fields. Equipped with practical skills and a clear path forward, they take control of their careers and achieve lasting success. They pull ahead from the start, and their peers never catch up.
- Kettering University graduates enter the job market with a median salary of $75,700 — the highest in the state of Michigan — according to SmartAsset.
- Our graduates receive an average of an 8% annualized return on their investment, according to collegefactual.com.
- 24% of our graduates fully pay off their federal student loan debt within two years of beginning repayment, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
- With a median starting salary of $75,700, Kettering University graduates lead Michigan for early-career earnings. Ranked in the top 30 nationally for return on tuition investment by Business Insider, Kettering sets its graduates up for unmatched long-term success, positioning them ahead from the very start.
Kettering graduates possess the initiative and hands-on skills to solve modern-day problems, making them leaders in diverse industries and markets. See how our alumni are leaving their marks in the business and engineering worlds:
- Robert E. Reiss* ‘60, America's first biomedical engineer
- Thomas G. Plaskett* ’68, Former executive in the airline industry; father of the frequent flyer program
- Robert C. Kagle ’78, Co-founder and General Partner of Benchmark Capital
- Keith Allman ’85, President and CEO, Masco
- Mary Barra ’85, Chair and CEO, General Motors
- Gerald Johnson ’85, Retired Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability at General Motors
- Chuck Gray '87, Vice President, Vehicle Hardware Engineering, Ford Model-E, Ford Motor Company
- Paul Bascobert ’87, President, Reuters
- Raj Nair '87, President and COO, Multimatic
- Derica Rice '88, Former Executive Vice President and President, CVS Caremark
- Michael Chrzanowski ’90, President and CEO, Yamaha Motor Corporation
- John Suh '90, Founding Director, New Horizons Studio, Hyundai Motor Group
- Dan Mantz '91, CEO, REC Foundation
- Lori Flees ’93, CEO,Valvoline Inc.
- Sherry House '94, CFO, Ford Motor Company
- Brady Ericson ’94, President and CEO at PHINIA
- Sheri Hickock '00, CEO, Climate Impact Partners
- Jennifer Johnson ’99, Vice President of Operations, Lear
- Sean McBurney ’03, Regional President at Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
- Matt Swiderski '03, Crew Chief #99 NASCAR Cup Series
- Kristie Pfosi '07, CISO, Delta Faucet
- Gerve Tillman '10, M'13, Program Manager, United States Space Force
- Cory Steuben '10, Director, Lucid Motors
- Peter Deppe ’19, Co-founder of KUHMUTE, a multi-modal charging network for micromobility
*Denotes alumni who are deceased.