Institutional Design, Workforce Alignment, and Kettering’s Recent National Recognition

As conversations around workforce readiness, talent pipelines, and return on educational investment continue to intensify, we would like to share a few recent developments that may be of interest as part of the broader discussion on higher education and economic alignment.

Earlier this month, Kettering University President Dr. Robert K. McMahan joined Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn on the Future U podcast to examine why Co-op and experiential learning models succeed only when they are embedded into institutional design, rather than layered on as optional enhancements. Drawing on Kettering’s century-old, industry-embedded model, the conversation focuses on structural barriers, workforce alignment, and what it takes for experiential learning to function at scale.

Podcast: Why Don’t More Colleges Run Co-Op Programs?
Future U Podcast with Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn

Kettering was featured in Jeff Selingo’s new book Dream School and related commentary, highlighting the institution’s long-standing workforce-embedded model as an example of outcomes-driven higher education in a changing economic landscape.

Since November, that perspective has also been reinforced through several independent recognitions and national features that may be relevant to ongoing policy and workforce conversations:

Forbes named Kettering University one of its 15 Top Colleges for Launching a Career, citing mandatory Co-op participation, post-graduation employment outcomes, and median earnings as key differentiators (December 2025).

The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked Kettering among the top institutions nationally for graduate salaries and No. 1 among private universities in Michigan, based on return on investment and earnings outcomes (2025 rankings).

Taken together, these developments demonstrate how Kettering’s long-standing approach, centered on sustained employer partnership and real-world application, directly informs today’s workforce and policy discussions. For over a century, Kettering has operated as an industry-embedded institution, aligning its academic structure with economic participation and long-term career outcomes.