Forbes recognizes value of the
Cincinnati Co-op
UC's cooperative education opportunities help improve work readiness for graduates
The University of Cincinnati’s leadership in the area of cooperative education or co-op has been recognized by Forbes magazine for improving work readiness for college graduates.
UC invented cooperative education in 1906 and has remained a leader in experience-based learning ever since. UC ranks No. 4 in the nation for co-op, with Cincinnati’s hands-on classroom extending to nearly every corner of the globe, from Fortune 500 companies to trailblazing experiences in places like China, Tanzania and South America.
UC students earn a collective $75 million annually working for thousands of employers including GE Aviation, Disney, Toyota, Kroger, Procter & Gamble and many more. UC has nearly 2,000 global partners for the co-op program with students participating in over 7,500 co-op opportunities each year.
“As the global founder of cooperative education...UC provides thousands of students valuable real-world education through co-op experiences...on-the-job and in the classroom.”
— Neville G. Pinto | UC president
Leadership at UC understand the value of co-op.
"As the global founder of cooperative education — established 116 years ago — UC provides thousands of students valuable real-world education through co-op experiences — where students rotate semesters — on-the-job and in the classroom,” UC President Neville Pinto explained in his State of the University Address earlier this year.
“We operate one of the nation’s largest co-op programs, which is consistently ranked in the top 5 nationwide by U.S. News. Annually we typically make 3,500 co-op placements with more than 2,000 employers in 46 states and 22 countries. We continue to expand the co-op model to all students, with the goal of providing experience-based learning opportunities to all students who desire these.”
UC students on co-op with ArtiCure. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Marketing + Brand
Isaac Smitherman knows first-hand how valuable co-op can be — he’s currently finishing his fifth co-op experience. The fifth-year environmental engineering student has plans for law school and hopes to someday practice environmental law.
Smitherman, undergraduate student body president at UC, has completed co-ops at Cincinnati law firm Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL, Duke Energy and through UC’s leadership program and its experiential explorations program designed to assist students when COVID-19 limited co-op experiences nationally.
“It is an opportunity to learn what you want to do, and you get a chance to see what it actually looks like in the field with a co-op experience.”
— Isaac Smitherman | UC undergraduate student body president
UC Student Body President Isaac Smitherman. Photo provided.
“As a future engineer, I really liked the science co-op experiences, but my time in student government showed me I do like public policy as well,” says Smitherman. “When I did co-op what I really enjoyed was looking up policies and determining why we do the things the way we do them.”
“It is an opportunity to learn what you want to do, and you get a chance to see what it actually looks like in the field with a co-op experience. I listened to my older brothers talk about their work experience and I am thinking I am so glad you experienced all these wonderful opportunities, but I experienced all these things during my sophomore year of college.
“I feel like I have a lot of professional development that my brothers didn’t get in college, but they are getting it now and doing well now. I just got a head start.”
Learn more about co-op opportunities at UC.
Beyond the Classroom
UC invented cooperative education more than 100 years ago, and we continue to innovate all aspects of experience-based learning, including internships, service learning, virtual co-ops, community projects and industry partnerships.
Featured image at top: UC students on co-op with Messer Construction Company. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Related Stories
UC co-op takes engineering student from bartending to Buffalo Trace
July 31, 2026
Student bartender Brady Billhorn takes part in cooperative education, or co-op, as part of his mechanical engineering technology degree program. His most recent co-op took him behind the scenes at Buffalo Trace Distillery.
CCM hosts Conducting Symposium on Nov. 12-14
July 31, 2026
UC's College-Conservatory of Music hosts the CCM Wind Conducting Symposium on Nov. 12-14, 2026. Open to emerging and established conductors, participants will have the opportunity to conduct CCM ensembles and receive instruction and feedback from CCM Wind Studies faculty Kevin Holzman and Tyler Ehrlich, as well as guest artist/ clinician Jerry Junkin, Director of Bands at The University of Texas at Austin.
As Crosley Tower comes down, UC looks to STEM
July 30, 2026
With demolition of Crosley Tower more than halfway complete, the University of Cincinnati is preparing a, 200,000-square-foot STEM Academic Facility on its Uptown campus, transforming the north side of campus with new classrooms and labs.
Learning by doing: internships, co-ops provide invaluable experience as students find their career path
July 30, 2026
More students at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College are pursuing summer internships and co-ops to go beyond the classroom, explore potential careers, and step into a professional environment where real-world experiences help provide a new perspective.
Donor support of UC and UC Health reaches historic level
July 30, 2026
This summer, every law student at the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law who applied for a Summer Public Interest fellowship will receive a fully funded real-world learning experience, expanding opportunities for University of Cincinnati students wishing to pursue real-world experience in public service. This 30% increase in fully funded fellowship participation is a direct result of transformative philanthropy.
UC co-op helps build career pathways at AtriCure
July 28, 2026
AtriCure, a global medical device company in Mason, Ohio, is UC’s largest biomedical engineering co-op employer, turning University of Cincinnati co-op students into full-time innovators.