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Best College again!By Patricia Mroczek | Sep 12, 2012

Kettering University is highly ranked nationally in the 2013 U.S.

News & World Report’s Best Colleges edition.

Kettering University remains #1 in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering in the country; is #7 in

Mechanical Engineering, and the University improved on its rank in both the Midwest and the

United States, according to the 2013 Best Colleges edition released by U.S. News & World Report

Sept. 12.

Kettering University is a ‘best college’ in the U.S.!

#1 in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering in the country

#7 in Mechanical Engineering in the country

#14 -- Best Regional Universities: Midwest

#17 – Best in Undergraduate Engineering in the country

Kettering’s category is

undergraduate engineering

schools, whose

highest degree offered is a

bachelor’s or master’s

degree.

Kettering Provost Robert

Simpson said that while the

‘Best Colleges’ rankings and

data are among the most

debated lists in higher

education, they offer an

excellent opportunity to

reflect on the University’s

new momentum and

refocused attention on being

a leading

Science, Technology,

Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM)

university.

“This year’s rankings reinforce Kettering’s strategic visioning work being led by our new President

Bob McMahan,” Simpson said. “Kettering has a renewed commitment to develop the next

generation of leaders for the STEM fields.

“I applaud the members of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering for

retaining the #1 ranking,” Simpson said. “Their efforts bring national recognition to our University

and will provide leadership during a critical re-evaluation period in American manufacturing.

Simpson said improvements in both the regional and national rankings can be attributed to the

efforts and new energy President McMahan has brought to campus. “This is a wonderful

opportunity to acknowledge the terrific efforts of our faculty, staff and students who strive to do their

best all year long.”

#1 in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Kettering’s Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department is again ranked #1 in the country

in its category – “Best in Undergraduate Engineering at schools whose highest degree is a

bachelor’s or master’s.”

Dr. W.L. Scheller, department head of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) said

Kettering takes pride in dominating this category for more than a decade. “It is a great honor being

recognized again as the top program in our field,” Scheller said. “The IME faculty members

at Kettering University work very hard to keep our program at the cutting edge of education.

“I believe that’s why our students are in such high demand for cooperative education positions with

major corporations, as well as at graduation,” Scheller continued. “Our IME students have not only

learned about the profession, but they have worked on a wide variety of professional projects both

in school and at their cooperative education employers.”

Scheller said the IME faculty members are in the midst of reinvigorating their focus on

manufacturing, starting with a commitment to produce engineers capable of providing top level

services to manufacturers of plastic goods. “This is a commitment of people, equipment, time

and funds,” he explained.

Best College again!

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“Kettering is partnering with

the plastics industry in order

to meet this challenge,”

Scheller said. “Meeting the

challenge not only

involves teaching students

the uses and optimization of

plastics processes,

but making them capable in

areas such as automation

and robotics as well. Great

opportunities exist for

graduates of IME capable of

not only working with plastics

processes, but knowing how

to integrate industrial robots

and automation as tools for

maximizing productivity.”

#7 – Mechanical

Engineering

The Mechanical Engineering Department is ranked #7 in the country.

Dr. Craig Hoff, department head of Mechanical Engineering, said “being ranked in the Top Ten in

the country is an honor in today's marketplace. A Kettering ME education is focused on developing

industry-ready young engineers,” Hoff continued. “We will continue to work with our

industry partners to prepare our students for the demanding jobs of the future.”

Mechanical Engineering

1. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (IN)

2. California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo (CA)

3. Cooper Union (NY)

3. United States Military Academy (NY)

3. United States Naval Academy (MD)

6. Harvey Mudd (CA)

7. Kettering University (MI)

8. United States Air Force Academy (CO)

9. Bucknell University (PA)

9. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (MA)

#14 – Best Regional Universities: Midwest

(http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-

colleges/rankings/regional-universities-midwest/page+2)

Kettering is again ranked as a Best Regional University – Midwest.

Kettering improved on its Midwest standing from last year’s #16 tie in the Best Regional University

– Midwest category.

Best Regional Universities: Midwest

1. Creighton University (NE)

2. Butler University (IN)

3. Drake University (IA)

4. Valparaiso University (IN)

4. Xavier University (OH)

6. Bradley University (IL)

7. John Carroll University

(OH)

8. Truman State University

(MO)

9. Hamline University (MN)

9. University of Evansville

(IN)

11. Drury University (MO)

11. Elmhurst College (IL)

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13. North Central College (IL)

14. Kettering University (MI)

14. St. Catherine University (MN)

16. Baldwin-Wallace University (OH)

16. Dominican University (IL)

16. Otterbein University (OH)

19. Milwaukee School of Engineering (WI)

20. University of Detroit Mercy (MI)

#17 – Best Undergraduate Engineering U.S.

(http://premium.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-no-

doctorate/page+2)

Kettering improved its national standing from #27 to #17 in the Best Undergraduate Engineering

category (without a doctorate).

The move to #17 places

Kettering in the Top 20 Best

Engineering programs in the

country.

2013 Best Undergraduate

Engineering Programs

(without a doctorate):

1. Rose-Hulman Institute of

Techology (IN)

2. Harvey Mudd College (CA)

3. United States Military

Academy (NY)

4. United States Air Force

Academy (CO)

4. United States Naval

Academy (MD)

6. Cooper Union (NY)

6. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (MA)

8. Calif. Polytech. St. U.– San Luis Obispo

9. Bucknell University (PA)

10. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical U (FL)

10. U.S. Coast Guard Academy (CT)

10. Villanova University (PA)

13. Baylor University (TX)

14. Calif. State Polytechnic Univ. – Pomona (CA)

14. Milwaukee School of Engineering (WI)

14. Santa Clara University (CA)

17. The Citadel (SC)

17. Embry-Riddle Aero U.- Prescott (AZ)

17. Swarthmore College (PA)

17. Gonzaga University (WA)

17. Kettering University (MI)

17. San Jose State University (CA)

17. Swarthmore College (PA)

17. Union College (NY)

17. Valparaiso University (IN)

Read more on the U.S. News Best Colleges at http://www.usnews.com/ (http://www.usnews.com/)

Methodology

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The U.S. News ranking system uses quantitative measures that education experts have proposed

as reliable indicators of academic quality, and it is based on a researched view of what matters in

education. First, schools are categorized by their mission, which is derived from the breakdown of

types of higher education institutions as refined by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of

Teaching in 2010. The Carnegie classification has been the basis of the Best Colleges ranking

category system since the first ranking was published in 1983, given that it is used extensively as

the basis for classifying schools by higher education researchers.

Also, data is gathered from each college on up to 16 indicators of academic excellence. Each factor

is assigned a weight that reflects a judgment about how much a measure matters. Finally, the

colleges and universities in each category are ranked against their peers, based on

their composite weighted score. (A more detailed explanation can be found

at www.usnews.com/collegemeth.)

The 2013 edition of the Best Colleges guidebook is available at USNews.com and will be on

newsstands Sept. 18.

Written by Patricia Mroczek and U.S. News sources

810.762.9533

pmroczek@kettering.edu (mailto://pmroczek@kettering.edu)