OSU Institute of Technology’s automotive programs were recently featured on the 2020 Best Colleges list on Optimal’s gradreports.com as No. 2 in the 2020 Best Associate Automotive Technology Degrees category.

Optimal’s GradReports rankings are the first to be based on median early-career salary data of over five million graduates from the U.S. Department of Education's resource, College Scorecard.

“I am very proud of my students, sponsors and faculty for their hard work and dedication to these programs,” said Terryl Lindsey, dean of the School of Transportation & Heavy Equipment. “We could not do this without support from our stakeholders.”

Optimal, formerly SR Education Group, launched a comprehensive collection of data-driven college rankings on GradReports.com. The new product is the first to incorporate the Department of Education's recently released data on median alumni salary and median alumni debt by college major at each university. This allows students to make a cost to benefit analysis before choosing a school and major.

Lindsey said that the automotive programs offered at OSUIT are unique and fit the algorithm of these rankings well. OSUIT offers an associate degree in Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET), General Motors Automotive Student Education Program (ASEP), Mopar® Career Automotive Program (MCAP), Pro-Tech and Toyota Technician Training and Education Network (T-TEN).

“In the School of Transportation & Heavy Equipment, we have five automotive degree options that are sponsored by corporate partnerships,” said Lindsey. “100 percent of our students are sponsored and have paid internship opportunities near their hometown. Students are on campus for eight weeks per semester and then live at home during the second eight weeks of the semester while working on their paid internship.”

Sung Rhee, CEO of Optimal was quoted saying that, “The time has come to let real-time data transform the college application process.”

“This is the first time that governmental data on student outcomes have been made available at such a granular level,” said Rhee. “We are excited to be able to present it in a way that no one else has. GradReports is an accessible and transparent tool that will empower each student to answer the question, ‘is this degree from this school worth it, and is it the best choice for me?’”

Lindsey has first-hand experience as a graduate of OSUIT.

“I graduated from OSUIT in 1982 and have never worried about a job or supporting my family,” he said. “These programs lead to essential careers. This is an extremely strong and gratifying industry, if you enjoy working with your hands, these programs are for you.”