Flint, Michigan, May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kettering University has once again been recognized as the nation’s top-ranked institution, earning the No. 1 overall position in the Diamond category of the 2026 Launchpad Rankings for the second consecutive year.
The recognition places Kettering at the top of a national evaluation focused on outcomes that matter to students, families, and employers alike: career readiness, experiential learning, retention, academic focus, and long-term opportunity.
For Kettering University, the distinction affirms a model intentionally built to produce results.
“This recognition reflects what the data have shown for years,” said Dr. Robert K. McMahan, President of Kettering University. “Every dimension of this university is organized around a single objective: producing graduates prepared to contribute from day one.”
Kettering’s nationally distinctive educational model combines rigorous academics with paid cooperative employment. Every undergraduate student alternates between 12 weeks of academic study and 12 weeks of professional work experience in their field, earning on average $55,000-75,000 or more, graduating with as much as 2.5 years of relevant experience prior to commencement.
That structure continues to distinguish Kettering at a time when students and families are increasingly focused on value, readiness, and long-term return on their educational investment.
“At many institutions, work experience is peripheral to the degree,” McMahan said. “At Kettering, it is embedded in the architecture of the education itself. It is not an add-on. It is central to the development of competence, confidence, and professional readiness.”
Launchpad also ranked Kettering No. 1 nationally in experiential learning, recognizing the University’s longstanding partnerships with more than 600 employers across the United States and beyond.
Those partnerships span engineering, advanced mobility, intelligent manufacturing, artificial intelligence, business, data science, sustainability, aerospace and defense, and chemicals and materials science, giving students direct access to industries shaping the future.
The result is a graduate who enters the marketplace not as a novice, but as an experienced contributor.
“Kettering students begin building their professional capabilities while they are enrolled,” said Dr. Robert K. McMahan. “That is the strength of an educational model built on mastery through education and experience, where learning is not episodic, but continuous and cumulative. Over multiple cycles of academic study and professional application, students develop not only technical competence, but the judgment and adaptability required to perform and lead in complex, real-world environments.”
The recognition comes amid continued momentum for the University, including growth in strategic academic areas such as semiconductor innovation, autonomous systems, applied AI, intelligent manufacturing, and new energy technologies. It also builds on sustained national recognition for career preparation and long-term return on investment, with top rankings from The Wall Street Journal and outcome-based analyses from Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce highlighting the strength of Kettering graduates in the marketplace.
For students seeking more than a conventional college experience and for families seeking confidence that higher education will lead to meaningful opportunity, Kettering University continues to offer one of the most direct and effective pathways to professional success in American higher education.
About Kettering University
Kettering University is a nationally recognized STEM and business university founded in 1919 and known for its distinctive 50/50 model that combines rigorous academics with full-time, paid Co-op employment. Through alternating 12-week academic and professional terms, students graduate with 2.5 years of industry experience and strong career outcomes across fields including engineering, computer science, business, and applied sciences. Built on a legacy of innovation and industry partnership, Kettering prepares students to lead in advanced mobility, artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, sustainability, and emerging technologies.
- Kettering University Ranked No. 1 Undergraduate Institution in America for Second Consecutive Year in Launchpad Rankings