Best Schools for Design Engineering Technologies in 2026
45 schools ranked by TSW Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Design Engineering Technologies, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Design Engineering Technologies 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 Design Engineering Technologies 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 · Design Engineering Technologies |
57
54–59 |
$54,198/yr | 53.9x |
| 2 |
Utah Valley University
Orem, UT · Design Engineering Technologies |
57
52–59 |
$55,893/yr | 55.0x |
| 3 |
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids, MI · Design Engineering Technologies |
58
54–60 |
$49,865/yr | 60.4x |
| 4 |
Austin Community College District
Austin, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
63
59–65 |
$50,584/yr | 98.4x |
| 5 |
Northcentral Technical College
Wausau, WI · Design Engineering Technologies |
60
56–63 |
$53,105/yr | 78.8x |
| 6 |
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, MN · Design Engineering Technologies |
53
50–56 |
$49,539/yr | 46.8x |
| 7 |
College of Western Idaho
Nampa, ID · Design Engineering Technologies |
65
61–68 |
$48,988/yr | 178.9x |
| 8 |
College of Western Idaho
Nampa, ID · Design Engineering Technologies |
60
56–62 |
$49,508/yr | 73.2x |
| 9 |
Valencia College
Orlando, FL · Design Engineering Technologies |
61
57–63 |
$45,701/yr | 91.4x |
| 10 |
Southern Maine Community College
South Portland, ME · Design Engineering Technologies |
56
52–58 |
$45,319/yr | 58.7x |
| 11 |
Mott Community College
Flint, MI · Design Engineering Technologies |
56
51–58 |
$44,903/yr | 65.5x |
| 12 |
Macomb Community College
Warren, MI · Design Engineering Technologies |
56
53–59 |
$44,701/yr | 61.1x |
| 13 |
Oakland Community College
Auburn Hills, MI · Design Engineering Technologies |
59
55–61 |
$45,844/yr | 74.9x |
| 14 |
St Cloud Technical and Community College
Saint Cloud, MN · Design Engineering Technologies |
52
50–54 |
$45,565/yr | 47.6x |
| 15 |
Austin Community College District
Austin, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
64
60–67 |
$45,343/yr | 176.8x |
| 16 |
Houston Community College
Houston, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
63
58–65 |
$45,548/yr | 133.8x |
| 17 |
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI · Design Engineering Technologies |
54
49–57 |
$44,782/yr | 57.1x |
| 18 |
Waukesha County Technical College
Pewaukee, WI · Design Engineering Technologies |
56
51–58 |
$46,460/yr | 62.5x |
| 19 |
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN · Design Engineering Technologies |
51
47–54 |
$41,467/yr | 50.4x |
| 20 |
Southeast Community College Area
Lincoln, NE · Design Engineering Technologies |
57
51–59 |
$41,599/yr | 79.3x |
| 21 |
Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, IA · Design Engineering Technologies |
51
48–53 |
$44,886/yr | 39.4x |
| 22 |
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology
Wichita, KS · Design Engineering Technologies |
52
49–54 |
$46,949/yr | 38.0x |
| 23 |
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls, MN · Design Engineering Technologies |
51
48–53 |
$44,988/yr | 37.1x |
| 24 |
State Technical College of Missouri
Linn, MO · Design Engineering Technologies |
50
47–52 |
$49,789/yr | 29.7x |
| 25 |
YTI Career Institute-York
York, PA · Design Engineering Technologies |
48
44–50 |
$45,684/yr | — |
| 26 |
Texas State Technical College
Waco, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
48
45–50 |
$43,742/yr | 33.6x |
| 27 |
Front Range Community College
Westminster, CO · Design Engineering Technologies |
52
48–55 |
$33,893/yr | 70.5x |
| 28 |
Porter & Chester Institute
Bridgeport, CT · Design Engineering Technologies |
46
43–49 |
$40,650/yr | 34.3x |
| 29 |
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Perkinston, MS · Design Engineering Technologies |
48
45–50 |
$35,706/yr | 44.2x |
| 30 |
Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA · Design Engineering Technologies |
48
45–50 |
$41,114/yr | 35.0x |
| 31 |
Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN · Design Engineering Technologies |
46
41–48 |
$55,512/yr | 13.7x |
| 32 |
South Louisiana Community College
Lafayette, LA · Design Engineering Technologies |
45
42–48 |
$34,056/yr | 39.4x |
| 33 |
ITI Technical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Design Engineering Technologies |
43
37–45 |
$39,208/yr | 22.7x |
| 34 |
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Lancaster, PA · Design Engineering Technologies |
42
37–45 |
$36,002/yr | 28.0x |
| 35 |
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Williamsport, PA · Design Engineering Technologies |
43
38–45 |
$44,821/yr | 11.5x |
| 36 |
Pittsburgh Technical College
Oakdale, PA · Design Engineering Technologies |
41
37–43 |
$41,991/yr | 12.0x |
| 37 |
Remington College-Houston Southeast Campus
League City, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
39
33–42 |
$29,323/yr | 32.8x |
| 38 |
Remington College-Online Dallas
Dallas, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
38
32–40 |
$29,323/yr | 27.9x |
| 39 |
Remington College-Mobile Campus
Mobile, AL · Design Engineering Technologies |
36
30–39 |
$29,323/yr | 21.3x |
| 40 |
Remington College-Fort Worth Campus
North Richland Hills, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
36
30–39 |
$29,323/yr | 22.6x |
| 41 |
Remington College-Memphis Campus
Memphis, TN · Design Engineering Technologies |
36
30–39 |
$29,323/yr | 21.8x |
| 42 |
Remington College-North Houston Campus
Houston, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
36
30–39 |
$29,323/yr | 21.8x |
| 43 |
Remington College-Lafayette Campus
Lafayette, LA · Design Engineering Technologies |
35
30–38 |
$29,323/yr | 19.4x |
| 44 |
Remington College-Dallas Campus
Dallas, TX · Design Engineering Technologies |
35
29–38 |
$29,323/yr | 18.2x |
| 45 |
Remington College-Shreveport Campus
Shreveport, LA · Design Engineering Technologies |
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 Design Engineering Technologies?
Based on our TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Portland Community College ranks #1 for Design Engineering Technologies with a score of 57/100 and graduate earnings of $54,198/yr.
How much do Design Engineering Technologies graduates earn?
Across 45 schools, Design Engineering Technologies graduates earn an average of $42,040/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $55,893/yr.
Is Design Engineering Technologies an AI-proof career?
Design Engineering Technologies 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.