Recognitions of Excellence

Princeton Review 2012
Lawrence Technological University has earned the “Best in the Midwest” designation for the third year in a row from the Princeton Review, based on academic excellence and a student survey. The 629 colleges named regional bests represent only the top 25 percent (one out of four) of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges.

To receive the “Best in the Midwest” designation in the “2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region” school selections, colleges first had to meet standards for academic excellence within their region.

“We chose Lawrence Tech and the other terrific schools we recommend as our ‘regional best’ colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior vice president and publisher.

Inclusion on the prestigious list also depended on the results of an anonymous online survey that asked students to rate their own schools on several issues – from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food – and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students and their campus life. The rating categories include academics, admissions selectivity, financial aid, quality of life, and green rating.

“Schoolwork is definitely the top priority for ‘studious and hardworking’ LTU undergraduates. Even so, students make the best of their busy college life,” according to the summary of the student survey.

The 153 colleges the Princeton Review chose for the 2012 “Best in the Midwest” designations are located in 12 states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

BloombergBusinessweek
A 2010 BloombergBusinessweek survey of universities across the nation ranks Lawrence Technological University in the top 30 percent nationally and the highest in the metropolitan Detroit three-county area for the earning power generated by its bachelor’s degree.

What does this mean? Lawrence Tech grads tend to earn more during their careers than other college graduates.
1. Lawrence Tech grads earn a return on their tuition investment that ranks in the highest 30 percent of all U.S. universities.
2. Lawrence Tech ranked highest in tuition ROI of any college or university in the metropolitan Detroit area (Oakland/Wayne/Macomb Counties).
3. Lawrence Tech ranked 17th in tuition ROI among all the nation’s private technological colleges and universities (technological colleges and universities generally include heavier concentrations of science and mathematics regardless of major).
4. Lawrence Tech ranked 5th in tuition ROI among all Michigan colleges and universities surveyed.
5. Lawrence Tech ranked 2nd in tuition ROI among all Michigan private colleges surveyed.

Military Friendly School
Lawrence Technological University has again been named to the Military Friendly Schools list for 2012 compiled by G.I. Jobs. The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students.

Tens of billions of dollars in tuition money in the Post-9/11 GI Bill make it easier for veterans to pay for college, but it is often difficult to find the right institution or academic program. “Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated. The Military Friendly Schools list is that trusted friend,” said Rich McCormack, publisher of the Pittsburgh-based G.I. Jobs.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has designated Lawrence Tech as a “Yellow Ribbon School” for providing up to $5,500 per year to qualified veterans.

Lawrence Tech also offers military discounts to all active military, inactive, reserve or retired military - 15 percent off tuition and fees.

Criteria for making the Military Friendly Schools list included efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, results in recruiting military and veteran students, and academic accreditations. The list was compiled through exhaustive research of more than 7,000 schools nationwide.

Association of Independent Technological Universities
Established in 1957, the Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU) is an organization of leading American technological institutions whose mission is to exchange ideas and best practices; to advance engineering, science, and professional education; and to inspire innovation. Members are:

California Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Clarkson University
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Drexel University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Harvey Mudd College
Illinois Institute of Technology
Keck Graduate Institute
Kettering University
Lawrence Technological University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
Webb Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Gold Edison Award
Lawrence Technological University and the 19 other colleges and universities that comprise the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN) were awarded a Gold Edison Award in the category of Collaborative Networks and Support at the Edison Awards 25th anniversary celebration on April 28, 2012 in New York City.

The Edison Awards promote the time-tested characteristics of innovation of visionaries such as Thomas Edison. The Edison Best New Product Awards have recognized and honored some of the most innovative products, services and business leaders in the world.

The collegiate engineering programs in the KEEN network were recognized for their collaborative work together to instill the entrepreneurial mindset in all of the nearly 19,000 students they collectively teach.  In addition to the rigorous technical fundamentals they offer as part of their normal engineering curricula, these engineering programs offer experiential opportunities aimed at instilling in the students a set of professional skills necessary for their future work. 

In 2009, Lawrence Tech was awarded a five-year, $1.1 million grant from the Kern Family Foundation to further integrate the entrepreneurial mindset in the education of undergraduate engineering students.

In 2010, Lawrence Tech and five other KEEN universities formed the Dynamic Compass Network (DCN) to share innovative approaches to entrepreneurial education in curricular innovation, faculty excellence, a community of practitioners, peer collaboration, continuous improvement, and experiential learning.

Lawrence Tech took the lead by implementing a pilot project that provided benchmarks for the network.