Points of Pride

General D wearing cap and gown

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 build a career while they attend classes through an industry-embedded experience designed for real responsibility, real contribution, and real results.

2 . 5 years

Amount of paid, professional work experience our students achieve by graduation.

550 +

Number of partners employing our students across the nation and internationally over the last five years.

$ 75 , 700

Median starting salary of Kettering graduates, ranking No. 19 nationally, and No. 1 in Michigan, according to The Wall Street Journal.

We Compete — and Win

Kettering students compete against the best — and win. See our latest accomplishments!
 

2026: VEX U Excellence Award

Kettering’s robotics team, KUdos, earned the Excellence Award at the California Baptist University Open following top rankings in qualifications, skills, and elimination rounds.

2025: VEX AI Robotics Competition Championship — Excellence Award & Energy Award

Kettering’s VEX U team, KUdos, earned the Excellence Award and the Energy Award at the 2025 VEX AI Robotics Competition Championship in Houston after finishing undefeated in qualification matches and ranking No. 1 among collegiate teams.

2026: VEX U Excellence Award (Gear Slingers Open)

KUdos earned the highest overall honor at the Gear Slingers Open, recognizing performance, engineering documentation, and teamwork across the full competition.

2025: Clean Snowmobile Challenge — First Place

Kettering’s SAE Clean Snowmobile Team placed first in both emissions and fuel economy in national competition testing.

2024: VEX Robotics World Championship Build Award

The Kettering University VEX U team, KUdos, earned the Build Award, recognizing mechanical design and construction quality.

2025: VEX Robotics World Championship Innovate Award

Kettering’s VEX U robotics team received the Innovate Award at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas for engineering design and creative problem solving.

2025: Hack Dearborn FinTech Track — First Place

Kettering students won the FinTech division of Hack Dearborn 4 with a secure, NFC-enabled, dynamic-authentication payment card design.

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.

Learn About Our Partnerships

Kristie Pfosi

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:

News Story
 


News Story
 

  • The Princeton Review | 2024
    • Best Value College
    • Best 390 Colleges
    • Best Midwest Colleges

News Story
 

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, ranking No. 19 nationally in Best Graduate Salaries, according to The Wall Street Journal.
  • 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.