Best Schools for Drafting & Design Technology in 2026
45 schools ranked by TSW Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Drafting & Design Technology, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Drafting & Design Technology graduate earns $42,040/yr across 45 schools.
Programs Ranked
45
Avg Earnings
$42,040/yr
Avg TSW Score
50/100
AI-Proof Rating
Moderate
46% task exposure
All Drafting & Design Technology Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Portland Community College
Portland, OR · Drafting & Design Technology |
57
54–59 |
$54,198/yr | 53.9x |
| 2 |
Utah Valley University
Orem, UT · Drafting & Design Technology |
57
52–59 |
$55,893/yr | 55.0x |
| 3 |
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids, MI · Drafting & Design Technology |
58
54–60 |
$49,865/yr | 60.4x |
| 4 |
Austin Community College District
Austin, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
63
59–65 |
$50,584/yr | 98.4x |
| 5 |
Northcentral Technical College
Wausau, WI · Drafting & Design Technology |
60
56–63 |
$53,105/yr | 78.8x |
| 6 |
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, MN · Drafting & Design Technology |
53
50–56 |
$49,539/yr | 46.8x |
| 7 |
College of Western Idaho
Nampa, ID · Drafting & Design Technology |
65
61–68 |
$48,988/yr | 178.9x |
| 8 |
College of Western Idaho
Nampa, ID · Drafting & Design Technology |
60
56–62 |
$49,508/yr | 73.2x |
| 9 |
Valencia College
Orlando, FL · Drafting & Design Technology |
61
57–63 |
$45,701/yr | 91.4x |
| 10 |
Southern Maine Community College
South Portland, ME · Drafting & Design Technology |
56
52–58 |
$45,319/yr | 58.7x |
| 11 |
Mott Community College
Flint, MI · Drafting & Design Technology |
56
51–58 |
$44,903/yr | 65.5x |
| 12 |
Macomb Community College
Warren, MI · Drafting & Design Technology |
56
53–59 |
$44,701/yr | 61.1x |
| 13 |
Oakland Community College
Auburn Hills, MI · Drafting & Design Technology |
59
55–61 |
$45,844/yr | 74.9x |
| 14 |
St Cloud Technical and Community College
Saint Cloud, MN · Drafting & Design Technology |
52
50–54 |
$45,565/yr | 47.6x |
| 15 |
Austin Community College District
Austin, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
64
60–67 |
$45,343/yr | 176.8x |
| 16 |
Houston Community College
Houston, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
63
58–65 |
$45,548/yr | 133.8x |
| 17 |
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI · Drafting & Design Technology |
54
49–57 |
$44,782/yr | 57.1x |
| 18 |
Waukesha County Technical College
Pewaukee, WI · Drafting & Design Technology |
56
51–58 |
$46,460/yr | 62.5x |
| 19 |
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN · Drafting & Design Technology |
51
47–54 |
$41,467/yr | 50.4x |
| 20 |
Southeast Community College Area
Lincoln, NE · Drafting & Design Technology |
57
51–59 |
$41,599/yr | 79.3x |
| 21 |
Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, IA · Drafting & Design Technology |
51
48–53 |
$44,886/yr | 39.4x |
| 22 |
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology
Wichita, KS · Drafting & Design Technology |
52
49–54 |
$46,949/yr | 38.0x |
| 23 |
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls, MN · Drafting & Design Technology |
51
48–53 |
$44,988/yr | 37.1x |
| 24 |
State Technical College of Missouri
Linn, MO · Drafting & Design Technology |
50
47–52 |
$49,789/yr | 29.7x |
| 25 |
YTI Career Institute-York
York, PA · Drafting & Design Technology |
48
44–50 |
$45,684/yr | — |
| 26 |
Texas State Technical College
Waco, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
48
45–50 |
$43,742/yr | 33.6x |
| 27 |
Front Range Community College
Westminster, CO · Drafting & Design Technology |
52
48–55 |
$33,893/yr | 70.5x |
| 28 |
Porter & Chester Institute
Bridgeport, CT · Drafting & Design Technology |
46
43–49 |
$40,650/yr | 34.3x |
| 29 |
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Perkinston, MS · Drafting & Design Technology |
48
45–50 |
$35,706/yr | 44.2x |
| 30 |
Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA · Drafting & Design Technology |
48
45–50 |
$41,114/yr | 35.0x |
| 31 |
Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN · Drafting & Design Technology |
46
41–48 |
$55,512/yr | 13.7x |
| 32 |
South Louisiana Community College
Lafayette, LA · Drafting & Design Technology |
45
42–48 |
$34,056/yr | 39.4x |
| 33 |
ITI Technical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Drafting & Design Technology |
43
37–45 |
$39,208/yr | 22.7x |
| 34 |
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Lancaster, PA · Drafting & Design Technology |
42
37–45 |
$36,002/yr | 28.0x |
| 35 |
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Williamsport, PA · Drafting & Design Technology |
43
38–45 |
$44,821/yr | 11.5x |
| 36 |
Pittsburgh Technical College
Oakdale, PA · Drafting & Design Technology |
41
37–43 |
$41,991/yr | 12.0x |
| 37 |
Remington College-Houston Southeast Campus
League City, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
39
33–42 |
$29,323/yr | 32.8x |
| 38 |
Remington College-Online Dallas
Dallas, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
38
32–40 |
$29,323/yr | 27.9x |
| 39 |
Remington College-Mobile Campus
Mobile, AL · Drafting & Design Technology |
36
30–39 |
$29,323/yr | 21.3x |
| 40 |
Remington College-Fort Worth Campus
North Richland Hills, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
36
30–39 |
$29,323/yr | 22.6x |
| 41 |
Remington College-Memphis Campus
Memphis, TN · Drafting & Design Technology |
36
30–39 |
$29,323/yr | 21.8x |
| 42 |
Remington College-North Houston Campus
Houston, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
36
30–39 |
$29,323/yr | 21.8x |
| 43 |
Remington College-Lafayette Campus
Lafayette, LA · Drafting & Design Technology |
35
30–38 |
$29,323/yr | 19.4x |
| 44 |
Remington College-Dallas Campus
Dallas, TX · Drafting & Design Technology |
35
29–38 |
$29,323/yr | 18.2x |
| 45 |
Remington College-Shreveport Campus
Shreveport, LA · Drafting & Design Technology |
35
29–38 |
$29,323/yr | 18.4x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Drafting & Design Technology?
Based on our TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Portland Community College ranks #1 for Drafting & Design Technology with a score of 57/100 and graduate earnings of $54,198/yr.
How much do Drafting & Design Technology graduates earn?
Across 45 schools, Drafting & Design Technology graduates earn an average of $42,040/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $55,893/yr.
Is Drafting & Design Technology an AI-proof career?
Drafting & Design Technology has an average AI task exposure of 46%, rated "Moderate". This trade has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.