Kettering University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Kettering University is a private nonprofit college in Flint, MI. Students pay about $34,660 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $94,823 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 3.4 years and adds $315,590 over a decade, ranking it #35 of 918 (top 5%) by value added.
What is Kettering University's acceptance rate?
Kettering University has an acceptance rate of 78.7%, which makes it moderately selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Flint, MI enrolling about 1,205 students, with a 70.7% graduation rate.
How much does Kettering University cost?
Kettering University costs about $34,660 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $165,640. Published sticker cost of attendance is $61,250 per year.
How much do Kettering University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Kettering University student earns $94,823 per year. That is $48,123 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Kettering University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Kettering University pays back its roughly $165,640 cost in about 3.4 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $315,590 net of cost, a 2.91x return on the money invested. That ranks it #35 of 918 (top 5%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Kettering University graduation rate and student debt
70.7% of Kettering University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 28% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Kettering University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Kettering University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $34,660 | $20,299 | cheaper than 10% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $94,823 | $54,768 | 97th |
| Graduation rate | 70.7% | 57.0% | 79th |
| Acceptance rate | 78.7% | 75.7% | more selective than 43% |
| 10-yr value added | $315,590 | -$28,192 | 96th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 2.91x | 0.73x | 90th |
| Payback period | 3.4 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 88% |
How Kettering University compares with its nearest rivals
Kettering University ranks #35 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 5 of them cost less per year and none of them produces higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Kettering University is a private nonprofit college in Flint, MI with 1,205 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $61,250 a year, but the average aided family pays $34,660, a 43% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $27,000, equal to 28% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Admission is broadly accessible at Kettering University, which admits 78.7% of applicants, so cost and completion decide its value more than selectivity does.
- University of California-San Diego (La Jolla, CA; #34 of 918; 86.8% graduate) costs $22,190 less per year ($12,470 net), and its graduates earn $9,880 less ten years out ($84,943). University of California-San Diego adds $1,460 more ten-year value than Kettering University. University of California-San Diego pays back its cost in 1.7 years.
- Maine Maritime Academy (Castine, ME; #36 of 918; 59.9% graduate) costs $11,246 less per year ($23,414 net), and its graduates earn $4,859 less ten years out ($89,964). Kettering University adds $3,606 more ten-year value than Maine Maritime Academy. Maine Maritime Academy pays back its cost in 2.8 years.
- Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD; #33 of 918; 94.2% graduate) costs $15,851 less per year ($18,809 net), and its graduates earn $7,268 less ten years out ($87,555). Johns Hopkins University adds $7,474 more ten-year value than Kettering University. Johns Hopkins University pays back its cost in 2.1 years.
- Northeastern University (Boston, MA; #37 of 918; 90.5% graduate) costs $3,745 less per year ($30,915 net), and its graduates earn $2,285 less ten years out ($92,538). Kettering University adds $5,120 more ten-year value than Northeastern University. Northeastern University pays back its cost in 3.2 years.
- Northeastern University Oakland (Oakland, CA; #32 of 918) costs $9,479 less per year ($25,181 net), and its graduates earn $2,285 less ten years out ($92,538). Northeastern University Oakland adds $17,816 more ten-year value than Kettering University. Northeastern University Oakland pays back its cost in 2.7 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University Oakland | #32 | $25,181 | $92,538 | n/a | $333,406 |
| Johns Hopkins University | #33 | $18,809 | $87,555 | 94.2% | $323,064 |
| University of California-San Diego | #34 | $12,470 | $84,943 | 86.8% | $317,050 |
| Kettering University | #35 | $34,660 | $94,823 | 70.7% | $315,590 |
| Maine Maritime Academy | #36 | $23,414 | $89,964 | 59.9% | $311,984 |
| Northeastern University | #37 | $30,915 | $92,538 | 90.5% | $310,470 |
Paying for Kettering University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Kettering University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Kettering University ranks #35 of 918 (top 5%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 2.91x the money invested over a decade.
Is Kettering University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $34,660 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 10% of them.
Do Kettering University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $94,823 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 97% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Kettering University compared to other colleges?
Its 78.7% acceptance rate is above the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 43% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.