What are Co-Op Programs?
- https://blog.collegevine.com/colleges-with-co-op-programs/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/slideshows/top-colleges-universities-for-internship-co-op-programs?slide=21
- https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/internship-programs
- https://admissionsight.com/these-are-the-top-colleges-with-co-op-programs/
“Co-op” is short for “cooperative education,” an experiential approach that alternates between classroom education and paid on-the-job learning. It provides students with professional experience in their field of study and anticipated career choice.
The co-op model was pioneered by the Dean of Engineering, Herman Schneider, at the University of Cincinnati in 1906. Today, approximately 60 U.S. colleges and universities offer co-op programs—often in the STEAM fields, such as engineering, information technology, applied science, design, and architecture. Many students‘ co-op experiences are at companies that their college has developed a strategic partnership with, while other students forge their own co-op employment opportunities that their college approves.
Some schools offer co-op as an option; for others, it is a requirement. Check carefully, as even at Northeastern University, known for its top-tier co-op program, doing a co-op is highly encouraged, but not required. Undergraduate co-op programs typically last a semester or year, and are part of a four- to five-year course of study combining classroom and experiential learning.
Benefits of Co-op Programs
A co-op education offers students many potential advantages, including:
- Relevant on-the-job experience tends to improve academic performance in the classroom.
- The ability to earn income to pay for college without decreasing your eligibility for need-based financial aid. Co-op wages do not count toward Expected Family Contribution. Also, you may even be able to reduce federal taxes on your co-op income.
- A smoother transition from college to career as you gain first-hand knowledge of both the hard and soft skills needed to thrive as an employee.
- Students with co-op experience have robust resumes that help them secure jobs when they graduate. They also have the practical foundation needed to gain entry to some of the top graduate schools in the country.
- Co-op students often are hired by their co-op employer. Both you and your employer get to “try before you buy.”
- Some co-op students have the chance to live in a new area of the country or world
- Some co-op students have the chance to experience business travel and/or attend professional conferences
Here is a list of some colleges that have co-op programs.
| School | Location | Acceptance Rate |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA | 17% |
| Clemson University | Clemson, SC | 62% |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | 11% |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA | 77% |
| Elon University | Elon, NC | 72% |
| Endicott College | Beverly, MA | 80% |
| George Washington University | Washington, DC | 42% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA | 22% |
| Northeastern University | Boston, MA | 19% |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 8% |
| Purdue University | West Lafayette, IN | 58% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY | 43% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY | 66% |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | 59% |
| University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | 73% |
| University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | 39% |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | 49% |
| Villanova University | Villanova, PA | 29% |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | Boston, MA | 76% |
| Berea College | Brea KY | |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | ||
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | ||
| Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA | ||
| Duke University Durham, NC | ||
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA | ||
| Bentley University Waltham, MA | ||
| Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA |
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