Evaluation of Companies in Applied Education: Determining the Criteria and a Case Study at an Industrial University

Universities are transitioning to applied education models within the framework of university–industry cooperation. In this case, both students and universities face the problem of choosing suitable companies. There is no study in the literature that deals with the solution of this problem. Thus, this study discusses companies’ evaluation and selection for the applied education model. A new hybrid methodology is proposed. The methodology consists of the following activities: determining the evaluation criteria with expert opinions, weighting the criteria with AHP, and ranking the companies with TOPSIS and PROMETHEE. The methodology has been tested in a case study with real data from an industrial university. While TOPSIS is effective for certain criteria, the findings suggest that PROMETHEE may provide more effective results specifically for company evaluations within the applied education model, aligning better with the study’s objectives. The applied education model is expected to yield several key outcomes: For company managers, it will lead to increased efficiency by hiring graduates who already have practical experience. From the educators’ perspective, it will result in the training of graduates who are both experienced and highly employable. For students, the model will enhance their employability aligning their skills with their career aspirations and increasing their chances of employment in companies, that match their competencies and preferences after graduation.