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Cartographic drafter education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a cartographic drafter. Cartographic drafters usually study geography, drafting and design, or graphic design. 44% of cartographic drafters hold a bachelor's degree, and 44% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 16 real cartographic drafter resumes to see exactly what cartographic drafter education sections show.
The most common colleges for cartographic drafters are the Salem State University and the Salem State University.
There are also many online cartographic drafter courses to help get the education required to be a cartographic drafter.
What education do you need to become a cartographic drafter?
What degree do you need to be a cartographic drafter?
- Bachelor's, 44%
- Associate, 44%
- High School Diploma, 11%
What should I major in to become a cartographic drafter?
- Geography, 31%
- Drafting And Design, 15%
- Graphic Design, 15%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for cartographic drafters
| Cartographic drafter common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Salem State University | 25.00% |
| Utah State University | 25.00% |
| Murray State University | 25.00% |
| Indiana State University | 25.00% |
Best majors for cartographic drafters
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geography | 30.8% |
| 2 | Drafting And Design | 15.4% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 15.4% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 7.7% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 7.7% |
Best colleges for cartographic drafters
The best colleges for cartographic drafters are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A cartographic 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 cartographic 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 cartographic drafters.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
20 best online courses for cartographic drafters
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Top 10 most affordable universities for cartographic drafters
The most affordable schools for cartographic drafters are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for cartographic 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 cartographic drafters.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cartographic drafters
The hardest universities for cartographic drafters to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for cartographic 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 cartographic 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,488
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cartographic drafters
The easiest schools for cartographic drafters to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, pennsylvania state university - dubois, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cartographic 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 cartographic drafters.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
8. Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,019
9. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average cartographic drafter salary by education level
| Cartographic drafter education level | Cartographic drafter salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,313 |
Cartographic drafter education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025