Empowering New Leaders for a New Workforce

Woman using a laptop

Halima Olapade (College of Computing & Informatics) fully utilized all of the Steinbright Career Development Center resources at her disposal, taking her on a journey across the U.S. and to Germany. Her dedication and hard work was rewarded with a job offer from Google.
Dragon statue at dusk

Jenna Bechard (College of Engineering) discusses the value and variety of services at the Steinbright Career Development Center which prepare students for their job search before entering the workforce.
Philadelphia skyline with 'Drexel University' painted on a rail bridge in the foreground.

Shane Nelson (College of Arts and Sciences) speaks about his cooperative education experience, including Co-op 101 and working alongside industry professionals, and how it has prepared him to excel.

A Program Built to Yield Results

Co-op presents a chance to learn from a mentor, travel the world, or pursue a passion. This experiential approach to education nurtures driven graduates who are ready to make a real, dramatic impact in their field from day one — and their accomplishments are recognized and valued by all those around them. In fact, nearly half of all Drexel graduates receive a job offer from a company where they went on co-op, according to surveys of exiting seniors.

89%
Drexel undergraduate students enrolled in the co-op program.
91%
Co-op students that found their experience relevant to their career objectives.
47%

of co-op participants working full-time had received a job offer from a former co-op employer.

$21,000

The gross median six-month salary for undergraduate co-op positions that are both full-time and paid. More than 80% of all co-op positions are paid by the employer. For more detailed information, visit the Steinbright Career Development Center's Salary Guide.

*Data from academic year 2022–2023 co-op data

Frequently Asked Questions about Cooperative Education

What if You Knew? Co-op at Drexel

By combining world-class academics with real-world experience, our cooperative education program empowers students to test-drive future career options and effectively work with the leaders of today as they develop into the leaders of tomorrow. View our special video featuring the 2022 Cooperative Education student award winners.

Alumni Testimonials

Kieran Billmann's co-op with Penn State Applied Research Labs set him on a path to his current career with the U.S. Navy at the Naval Air Warfare Center in New Jersey.

"The co-op program was amazing. You can tell they've been doing it for 100 years because it's very well-orchestrated and very well done. Everyone was there to help you. Everyone gave me tidbits of information for how to do better interviewing. So, when it actually came time to get a real job, I felt pretty comfortable with interviews because I had already had so many."

Kieran Billmann '11 and '15,
College of Engineering
Penn State Applied Research Labs


While on co-op with Philadelphia-based startup Lia Diagnostics, Riley Stanford created a patent-pending film for the firm's flushable pregnancy test, which is close to commercialization.

"It's definitely a project I'm proud to be involved with. What they are doing is good for the environment and good for women, and both are things that I care passionately about. The Drexel co-op system ultimately gave me the chance to see everything through and effect change for the company."

Riley Stanford '19,
College of Arts and Sciences
Lia Diagnostics


Brian Lofink is one of Philadelphia's most high-profile chefs and he says it likely wouldn't have happened without the opportunity to co-op for acclaimed chef and five-star restaurateur Georges Perrier of Le Bec Fin fame.

"Without working in that specific co-op, I'm not sure I would have lasted this long in the restaurant industry. It was such an intense period — immersive learning — that it set up my whole career. It catapulted me ahead of my peers because, by the time I left, I was 24 years old and had worked in one of the best restaurants in the city with one of the best chefs in the world."

Brian Lofink '03,
Food & Hospitality
Brasserie Perrier