Architectural drafter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an architectural drafter. Architectural drafters usually study drafting and design, architecture, or architectural technology. 45% of architectural drafters hold a associate degree, and 41% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,824 real architectural drafter resumes to see exactly what architectural drafter education sections show.

The most common colleges for architectural drafters are the City College of New York of the City University of New York, The and the City College of New York of the City University of New York, The.

There are also many online architectural drafter courses to help get the education required to be an architectural drafter.

There are certain architectural drafter certifications that you should consider. These architectural drafter certifications include Certified Agile Developer (CAD) and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become an architectural drafter?

What degree do you need to be an architectural drafter?

The most common degree for architectural drafters is associate degree, with 45% of architectural drafters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 41% and bachelor's degree degree at 5%.

Associate, 45%

Bachelor's, 41%

Master's, 5%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an architectural drafter?

You should major in drafting and design to become an architectural drafter. 33% of architectural drafters major in drafting and design. Other common majors for an architectural drafter include architecture and architectural technology.

Drafting And Design, 33%

Architecture, 28%

Architectural Technology, 7%

Interior Design, 6%

Other Majors, 26%

Most common colleges for architectural drafters

Architectural drafters often get their degrees at City College of New York of the City University of New York, The, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and New York Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for architectural drafters in the US based on their resumes.

Architectural drafter common college	Percentages
City College of New York of the City University of New York, The	11.40%
Wentworth Institute of Technology	7.02%
New York Institute of Technology	7.02%
University of Illinois at Chicago	6.14%
Washington State University	6.14%

Show more common architectural drafter colleges

Best majors for architectural drafters

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Drafting And Design	32.8%
2	Architecture	27.9%
3	Architectural Technology	7.3%
4	Interior Design	5.6%
5	Environmental Design	3.6%

Show more common architectural drafter majors

Best colleges for architectural drafters

The best colleges for architectural drafters are Carnegie Mellon University, Tufts University, and Yale University.

An architectural drafter with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for architectural drafters. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become architectural drafters.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$47,646

Enrollment

2,924

3. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

4. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$42,345

Enrollment

12,886

5. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

6. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

In-state tuition

$8,764

Enrollment

9,314

7. Montana State University - Bozeman

Bozeman, MT • Private

In-state tuition

$7,277

Enrollment

14,566

8. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Enrollment

17,321

9. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,312

Enrollment

21,793

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

20 best online courses for architectural drafters

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Top 10 most affordable universities for architectural drafters

The most affordable schools for architectural drafters are Florida International University, university of puerto rico - rio piedras campus, and florida atlantic university.

If the best universities for architectural drafters are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for architectural drafters.

1. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

2. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

San Juan, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

11,299

3. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

4. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$3,503

Cost of attendance

12,843

5. Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,645

Cost of attendance

20,098

6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

7. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for architectural drafters

The hardest universities for architectural drafters to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Tufts University, and Yale University.

Some great schools for architectural drafters are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for architectural drafters based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. Princeton University

Princeton, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,503

7. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

8. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,318

9. Barnard College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,422

10. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for architectural drafters

The easiest schools for architectural drafters to get into are Ferris State University, south dakota state university, and keene state college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an architectural drafter without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for architectural drafters.

1. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

2. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

3. Keene State College

Keene, NH • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,053

4. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

5. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

6. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

7. Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, IL • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,124

8. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

9. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

10. Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,107

Average architectural drafter salary by education level

Architectural drafters with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $53,561 annually. With a Associate degree, architectural drafters earn a median annual income of $52,248 compared to $51,346 for architectural drafters with an High School Diploma degree.

Architectural drafter education level	Architectural drafter salary
High School Diploma or Less	$51,346
Bachelor's Degree	$53,561
Some College/ Associate Degree	$52,248

Architectural drafter education FAQs

What is the best college for Architectural Drafters?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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