In 2024-25, students participating in paid co‑op opportunities earned a collective $94,192,050, according to self‑reported data.

That’s a 6% increase over last year’s total reported wages.

The university facilitated 8,395 co-op placements with 1,757 employers.

On average, co-ops earned $11,220 per student per semester — an amount that significantly offsets the cost of tuition. That's nearly a 5% increase in average co-op salaries.

UC President Neville G. Pinto notes how the institution's early leadership in cooperative education continues to shape its forward-thinking approach.

“As the pioneer of cooperative education, the University of Cincinnati changed the way the world learns,” says President Pinto. “Today, that same spirit of innovation drives the growth of UC’s co-op model and deepens our promise to connect learning with opportunity, preparing thousands of Bearcats to fuel the talent needs of our economy and graduate with the real-world experience employers need.”

While many institutions are rethinking how to prepare students for an uncertain job market, UC is doubling down on a time-tested strategy — and seeing results.

“UC is bucking national trends with growth in both co-op placements and wages,” says Annie Straka, associate dean in UC’s College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies. “The strong earnings and high number of paid opportunities highlight the talent and persistence of our students.”

“What makes UC distinctive is that career readiness is built directly into the curriculum through our co-op model,” Straka explains. UC faculty and staff work closely with students to prepare them to compete and succeed in the global marketplace.

“Our students ultimately own their success,” she says. “Their adaptability and drive are why industry partners consistently turn to UC for talent.”

At a time when higher education faces criticism, UC’s approach offers a powerful response, Straka says. “We’re showing that a UC degree is not only relevant but also future-focused — preparing graduates to be resilient, lifelong learners in any environment.”

UC defines co-op as paid career experiences.

UC civil engineering professor Herman Schneider founded cooperative education (co-op) at UC in 1906. The first co-op class involved 27 engineering students and 13 Cincinnati-area companies. Students originally alternated weekly between attending classes and working as a co-op. After proving its success, co-op began expanding to other fields beyond engineering.

Today UC offers experience-based learning opportunities to all students, including internships, service learning, virtual co-ops, community projects and industry partnerships.

Each year, UC students work with prestigious employers across the globe, including Disney, Toyota, Kroger and Procter & Gamble.

Co-op helps students at UC jump-start their careers, fund their education and graduate with a degree in one hand and a career plan in the other.

• UC’s co‑op program continues to lead nationally, ranking among the top 5 best co-op programs in the U.S.
• Co‑op helps students graduate stronger, more job‑ready — and with valuable industry connections that often lead to full‑time offers.
• UC cooperative education employer partners — including GE Aerospace, Siemens, Honda — tap into UC as a vital talent pipeline.
• UC’s founding of cooperative education in 1906 continues to underpin its leadership in experiential learning.

Through co-op and paid internships at UC, students go on to work across Cincinnati, the state of Ohio, the country and the world for employers that range from nonprofits and startups to Fortune 500 companies.

Industrial design student Adam Wolshire is living every designer’s dream as a Play Discovery Intern at Lego's headquarters in Billund, Denmark. He sketches prototypes, collaborates on long-term projects, and even helps shape future ways to play with the iconic brick toy — a testament to UC’s global co‑op reach.

"It’s Lego, and it’s a dream job for me," says Wolshire.

Cybersecurity and game development graduate student Colin Malott is interning with the NASA Office of Data Analytics through the NSF‑funded Scholarship for Service. Since January 2023, he’s been enhancing data tools and even built a self‑service platform for reporting suspected waste, fraud or abuse — demonstrating the high‑impact work UC co‑op students bring to federal agencies.

"It’s really cool to be part of NASA’s mission," Malott says.

Mechanical engineering student Nathan Weis tackled complex design challenges during his three co‑op rotations at Ohio-based Cold Jet, a dry‑ice cleaning equipment manufacturer. Guided by UC alumnus and co-op supervisor Dave Burbrink, Weis contributed to new product prototypes and solutions now in use on the manufacturing floor.

"There’s just no comparison between a student who has five or six semesters of co-op and another who does not," says employer Burbrink.