America's Best Colleges 2007

Image removed. Kettering University has retained its #1 ranking for Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) and continues to be ranked in the Top Twenty in the nation in the 2007 edition of "America's Best Colleges Guide," which is published by "U.S. News & World Report." Kettering's category is Undergraduate Engineering schools, whose highest degree is a bachelor's or master's degree.

Mechanical Engineering is now ranked #3 nationally!

Electrical and Computer Engineering is #7 nationally!

"We are pleased to again be recognized as one of the top engineering institutions in the country," said Kettering President Stan Liberty. "I know that the unique model of co-op education is a contributing factor to the annual rankings. I'd like to congratulate the entire Kettering community for their ongoing contributions that help us build and sustain the excellence of a Kettering University education," he added.

The national rankings are:
# 1 - Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering,
# 3 - Mechanical Engineering,
# 7 - Electrical and Computer Engineering and
#12 - Overall ranking for Kettering University.

#1 for Year #7
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering retained its #1 ranking. It is the seventh year in a row that Kettering has been designated as best in the country in its category.

Kettering University sits alone at the top of the list this year, followed by
2. Bradley University,
3. Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo and
4. (Tie): Cal Poly - Pomona; Milwaukee School of Engineering and University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

"It is always an honor when outsiders including our peer academic institutions rank Kettering University's Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering (IME) programs among the best in the nation compared to our peer Engineering programs," said Dr. Pete Gheresus, the IME interim department head. "I believe this recognition comes as a result of continued success of our highly motivated, industrious and dedicated graduates who excel in their chosen profession.

Image removed. "This honor is also a reflection of the continued dedication by the IME faculty and staff members, who strive to provide the best possible education with a friendly environment to all of our students. Kettering University provides added value for all of our students by providing co-operative work experiences and ample hands-on laboratory experiences, all of which contribute to their success," Gheresus added.

From #5 to #3 -- Mechanical Engineering climbs higher into the Top Five
Kettering's Mechanical Engineering Department, the largest academic unit on campus, is now in the Top Three in the country, ranked at #3. The department has been in the Top Ten for the past six years. Last year, it was ranked #5.

2007 rankings:
1. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology,
2. Harvey Mudd College,
3. Kettering University,
4. U.S. Military Academy and
5. Cooper Union.

"The recognition of our program by our colleagues and peers around the nation is certainly very encouraging," said Dr. K. Joel Berry, department head of Mechanical Engineering. "The faculty and staff work extremely hard to develop academic programs and experiences relative to the lives and careers of our students.

Image removed. "We feel our curriculum is very much aligned to the needs of our constituents, and our laboratories represent some of the finest technology for undergraduates anywhere in the country. As I stated a few years ago when we were #12," Berry explained, "we will not rest until we are indeed ranked the #1 program in the nation."

"This result is a testimony to our outstanding and dedicated faculty who work very hard to build our reputation for preparing applied hands-on engineers, multidisciplinary leaders and technical managers for the new economy of the 21st Century," he concluded.

From #8 to #7 - Electrical and Computer Engineering
Kettering's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department continues its Top Ten listing, moving from #9 two years ago, to #8 last year, to #7 for 2007. Dr. Mark Wicks, department head for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, said the steady climb is both satisfying and an important testimony for the quality of Kettering's program and the success of its graduates.

Image removed. "I am very pleased at our continued placement among the top ten programs in our category and our steady increase from #9 to #7 over the past three years," Wicks said. "Many factors contribute to the success of our program---outstanding students, a challenging curriculum, a dedicated faculty, and meaningful work experience obtained through employment at one of our corporate partners. We also have a clearly defined mission. We know what we're trying to accomplish, and we do it successfully."

Overall rank: #12
Kettering remained in the "Top Twenty" in the country in the "Best Programs" category. This year, it shares the honor with
#1: Harvey Mudd College and Rose-Hulman Institute,
#3: Cooper Union, U.S. Military Academy; U.S. Naval Academy
#6: Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo,
#7: Buckner University and U.S. Air Force Academy,
#9:Embry Riddle Aeronautical U.; Milwaukee School of Engineering; Villanova University, and
#12: Kettering University, Lafayette College, San Jose State; Swarthmore College.

Methodology:

A detailed explanation is available on the U.S. News website. The rankings system rests on two pillars. It relies on quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality, and it's based on our nonpartisan view of what matters in education. This year, 94 percent of the schools surveyed returned information.

Following are the indicators used to measure academic quality:
Peer assessment (25 percent),
Retention (25 percent),
Faculty resources (20 percent),
Student selectivity (15 percent),
Financial resources (10 percent) and
Alumni giving (5 percent).

View highlights of all the rankings at USNews.com.

The "America's Best Colleges" edition of "U.S. News & World Report" magazine (containing many of the rankings) will hit newsstands Monday, Aug. 21. The annual guidebook will also be available Monday, Aug. 21.

Written by Pat Mroczek
(810) 762-9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu