The institution was founded in 1919 as The School of Automobile Trades and opened under the direction of Albert Sobey to train engineering and management personnel. In 1923, the school became the Flint Institute of Technology offering a four-year cooperative education program, and enrolling more than 600 students. Recognizing the potential of cooperative education, the General Motors Corporation took over financial support of the school in 1926, renamed it General Motors Institute, and started utilizing the facility to develop engineers and managers. In 1945, the Institute added a fifth-year thesis requirement and became a degree-granting college with a continuing commitment to cooperative education.

Mission
Kettering University prepares students for lives of extraordinary leadership and service by linking transformative experiential learning opportunities to rigorous academic programs in engineering, science, mathematics, and business.

Vision
Kettering University will be the first choice for students and all their partners seeking to make a better world through technological innovation, leadership and service.

Values
- Respect for teamwork, honesty, encouragement, diversity, and partnerships with students.

- Integrity including accountability, transparency and ethics.

- Creativity  fostering flexibility and innovation.

- Collaboration across disciplines and with all partners.

- Excellence in all they do.