What a friend would tell you
What Kettering is looking for
Kettering's mandatory co-op program defines the school, and admissions wants students who understand the alternating term structure (11 weeks on campus, 11 weeks at an employer). Applications that show hands-on engineering experience, even informal tinkering, building, or fixing things, signal readiness. Mention specific co-op employer partners or the thesis project requirement.
What students wish they'd known
Flint, Michigan is economically struggling, and the surrounding area offers little in terms of nightlife, dining, or culture. The alternating co-op schedule means you're never on campus with the full student body, which fragments friendships and social life. The school is small and heavily male (roughly 80%), creating a lopsided social dynamic. If you leave engineering, there's almost nowhere to pivot.
Kettering might be a fit if...
- You want to graduate with 2.5 years of paid engineering co-op experience on your resume
- You're the student who'd rather build a go-kart than write an essay about one
- You don't mind a no-frills campus because you're there to learn engineering, not soak up college atmosphere
Kettering Admissions Strategy
Application Info
Plans: Rolling
Deadlines: RD January 15
Deadlines: RD January 15
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Not Tracked
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Recommended
Yield Rate
36%
Only 36% of admits choose to enroll. The waitlist moves more than you'd think; if you land on it, make your interest loud.
Want the strongest possible application to Kettering, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Kettering
$62,000
Sticker Price
$19,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. Meets need: Partial. 82% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Kettering spends about $19,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, well above the $15K national average.
What Kettering Graduates Get
$62,000
Avg Starting Salary
99%
Employed or in Grad School
18%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (71%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Kettering Campus & Culture
The Campus
Kettering's 85-acre campus in Flint, Michigan is compact and industrial, anchored by the Academic Building and the C.S. Mott Engineering and Science Center. The Crash Safety Center and GM Mobility Research Center sit on campus, a reminder of the school's origins as General Motors Institute. Architecture is mid-century functional: brick, concrete, and lab space over aesthetics. Downtown Flint is adjacent but still rebuilding.
The Social Scene
Flint's emerging tech renaissance, co-op cohort bonds, tight engineering culture
Academics at Kettering
What Kettering is known for
Co-op program mandatory, automotive/manufacturing focus, paid work experience
Most popular majors at Kettering
Standout programs
Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering
How the curriculum works
Co-op curriculum: alternate 3 months classroom, 3 months paid work
Recommended high school courses
4 English, 4 Math, 3 Science (including physics), 3 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language
Notable Kettering Alumni
Bob Lutz
Former Vice Chairman of General Motors and Chrysler, shaped modern American auto design
Lloyd Reuss
Former President of General Motors
Mark Reuss
Current President of General Motors, Kettering class of 1986
Margaret Holtschlag
Pioneering female engineer in automotive controls systems
If you like Kettering, also consider
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Top-ranked undergraduate engineering with more traditional campus life
Georgia Institute of Technology
Bigger, more prestigious engineering with co-op options
Drexel University
Similar co-op model in Philadelphia with more program variety
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Project-based engineering with better campus culture
Colorado School of Mines
Engineering focus with outdoor recreation and a more livable town