Autocad designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an autocad designer. Autocad designers usually study drafting and design, mechanical engineering, or architecture. 45% of autocad designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 40% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,431 real autocad designer resumes to see exactly what autocad designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for autocad designers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

There are also many online autocad designer courses to help get the education required to be an autocad designer.

There are certain autocad designer certifications that you should consider. These autocad designer certifications include AutoCAD Certified Professional and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).

What education do you need to become an autocad designer?

What degree do you need to be an autocad designer?

The most common degree for autocad designers is bachelor's degree, with 45% of autocad designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 40% and associate degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 40%

Master's, 5%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become an autocad designer?

You should major in drafting and design to become an autocad designer. 31% of autocad designers major in drafting and design. Other common majors for an autocad designer include mechanical engineering and architecture.

Drafting And Design, 31%

Mechanical Engineering, 10%

Architecture, 9%

Civil Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for autocad designers

Autocad designers often get their degrees at University of Houston, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and University of South Florida. Here are the most common colleges for autocad designers in the US based on their resumes.

Autocad designer common college	Percentages
University of Houston	11.69%
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	7.79%
University of South Florida	6.49%
Schoolcraft College	5.19%
Drexel University	5.19%

Show more common autocad designer colleges

Best majors for autocad designers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Drafting And Design	31.0%
2	Mechanical Engineering	10.0%
3	Architecture	9.4%
4	Civil Engineering	6.2%
5	Interior Design	6.0%

Show more common autocad designer majors

Best colleges for autocad designers

The best colleges for autocad designers are Rochester Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and Southern Utah University.

An autocad designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for autocad designers. 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 autocad designers.

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. LeTourneau University

Longview, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$30,210

Enrollment

1,771

4. Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$22,046

Enrollment

1,294

5. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

20 best online courses for autocad designers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for autocad designers

The most affordable schools for autocad designers are Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, inter american university of puerto rico aguadilla, and southern utah university.

If the best universities for autocad designers 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 autocad designers.

1. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$3,503

Cost of attendance

12,843

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

3. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$6,770

Cost of attendance

19,636

4. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,120

Cost of attendance

13,997

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

6. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

7. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Cost of attendance

23,713

8. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Cost of attendance

23,486

9. Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,032

Cost of attendance

17,711

10. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Cost of attendance

22,715

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for autocad designers

The hardest universities for autocad designers to get into are Rochester Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and Southern Utah University.

Some great schools for autocad designers 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 autocad designers 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. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,319

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,183

4. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

5. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

6. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

7. Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,107

8. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,011

9. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

10. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for autocad designers

The easiest schools for autocad designers to get into are SUNY College of Technology at Delhi, suny college of technology at alfred, and kent state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an autocad designer 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 autocad designers.

1. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,011

2. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

3. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

4. Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,107

5. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

6. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,183

7. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

8. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

9. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville

Morrisville, NY • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

955

10. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,319

Average autocad designer salary by education level

According to our data, autocad designers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $60,517 annually. Autocad designers with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $58,793.

Autocad designer education level	Autocad designer salary
High School Diploma or Less	$57,612
Bachelor's Degree	$60,517
Some College/ Associate Degree	$58,793

Autocad designer education FAQs

What is the best college for Autocad Designers?

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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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