For over 100 years, UC’s cooperative-education (co-op) program has helped students graduate with a career already waiting for them.
The University of Cincinnati invented co-op more than 100 years ago and we continue to innovate all aspects of experience-based learning.
Today, our approach to experience-based learning is embedded through the Bearcat Promise — our commitment to provide the people, tools and experiences that ensure every Bearcat graduates on time with both a degree and a resume.
This promise delivers true educational ROI: real-world experience, career readiness and a lifelong advantage as a Bearcat.
At UC, learning goes beyond the classroom.
As the birthplace of cooperative education, UC embeds real-world experience into every degree. However, co-op is just the beginning.
UC helps students complete a required portfolio of experience-based learning that can include internships, research, clinicals, service learning, global study and industry-connected projects.
This hands-on training turns knowledge into skillsets and coursework into career momentum. It’s not optional or extracurricular; it’s built into the degree, powering more than 32,000 real-world learning experiences every year.
Cooperative education, or co-op, is an educational model that connects academic learning with paid, career-relevant workplace experience.
These experiences are intentionally aligned with a student’s major so classroom knowledge is applied to real projects, teams, and challenges.
At the University of Cincinnati, co-op refers both to the students who participate and the professional experiences they complete. UC co-op students work with partners across industry, government, nonprofit organizations and the university while continuing to make progress toward their degrees.
Through co-op, students build professional skills, expand their networks and contribute meaningfully to today’s workforce, graduating with experience that sets them apart.
For the University of Cincinnati, our return on investment lies in our co-op student outcomes. Every semester, UC students go to work — at Nike, at Google, at any one of the university’s 1,700-plus employer partners. Our co-op students not only earn an average of $11,220 per semester, they graduate with 12.2% lower student loan debt compared to peers at other schools. Almost all students (98%) are employed or continue their education at the time of graduation.
$94M
collective student co-op earnings
The University of Cincinnati is leading urban public universities into a new era of innovation and impact. We're engaging people and igniting ideas, ultimately transforming the world — one Bearcat at a time. UC by the numbers:
98%
employment or continuing education rate following graduation
Behind every dream is proof that it’s possible. Our numbers show how pathways, outcomes, and opportunities add up — giving you the confidence that your future is built on results.
1700+
co-op employee partners
$94M
in student co-op earnings
$11,220
avg student earnings per semester
Meet Keller
Biomedical Engineering Co-op
Kinetic Vision | Cincinnati, OH
February 9, 2026
Research from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, recently published in the journal Nature Communications, is revealing how immune cells in the adult brain regulate the generation of new neurons.
February 9, 2026
UC Aspire, a program within the University of Cincinnati’s College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies, has been named Nehemiah Manufacturing’s 2025 Social Services Partner of the Year for its innovative workplace education programs that support justice-impacted, unemployed, and underemployed adults with literacy, digital skills, and career advancement—advancing UC’s workforce development and community impact.
February 9, 2026
William Walker, a second-year chemical engineering major at the University of Cincinnati, discusses his first cooperative education experience at American Rheinmetall. Walker is a graduate of Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati and a Marian Spencer Scholar.
