Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Chief drafter education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief drafter. Chief drafters usually study drafting and design, mechanical engineering, or mechanical engineering technology. 43% of chief drafters hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 37 real chief drafter resumes to see exactly what chief drafter education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief drafters are the Marquette University and the Marquette University.
There are also many online chief drafter courses to help get the education required to be a chief drafter.
What education do you need to become a chief drafter?
What degree do you need to be a chief drafter?
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Associate, 36%
- High School Diploma, 14%
- Master's, 7%
What should I major in to become a chief drafter?
- Drafting And Design, 16%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for chief drafters
| Chief drafter common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Marquette University | 12.50% |
| Kansas State University | 12.50% |
| Michigan State University | 12.50% |
| University of Phoenix | 12.50% |
| University of Toledo | 12.50% |
Best majors for chief drafters
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drafting And Design | 15.8% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 10.5% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 10.5% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 5.3% |
| 5 | Business | 5.3% |
Best colleges for chief drafters
The best colleges for chief drafters are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A chief 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 chief 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 chief drafters.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for chief drafters
Advertising disclosure
1. HVAC (PART2) with Revit MEP & Practical Projects
your Practical Guide in the Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning with Programs & Layouts (A Complete Project Included)...
2. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign
Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...
3. BIM applications for Roads, Highways & Transportation design
Your guide to plan, design, analyze and manage roads design and transportation projects using infraworks BIM application...
4. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...
5. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners
Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...
6. Canva Graphic Design for Entrepreneurs - Design 11 Projects
Learn Canva from scratch. Create 11 graphic design projects with Canva specifically for entrepreneurs...
7. Graphic Design Foundations in Canva: Theory and Projects
Learn design theory and practice GREAT graphic design through practical real world projects in Canva...
8. Road design With AutoCAD Civil 3D + Open Chanel Design
Complete Roads and highways Design + Open Channel + Roundabout Design with bonus course videos with autocad & Civil 3...
9. Architectural Design Tools in Blender - 3D Design
Develop your creative and technical skills to create photo realistic architectural scenes and beautiful 3D models...
10. Canva for Beginners - Graphic Design Theory Volume 1
Learn Canva and Graphic Design Theory in this course so that you can use Canva for your next graphic design project!...
11. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects
Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...
12. Canva Graphic Design Complete Guide 10+ Projects
Learn how to become a professional graphic designer in Canva by creating real world projects...
13. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects
Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...
14. AutoCAD - Advanced 2D to 3D Course
Become an Advanced Auto CAD user quickly by creating as you learn...
15. Become an HVAC PRO_The Ultimate HVAC Guide
HVAC Designer Course from Scratch to Advance Level for Career Changer, Career Accelerator or Knowledge Refresher...
16. STAAD Pro. - Structural Design of Steel Building (PEB)
Structural Analysis and Structural Design of Pre Engineered Building in Staad Pro with Real World Project...
17. World of Graphic Design & Infographics
All about basics of Graphical designing and Infographics...
18. Graphic Design Theory - Color & Contrast
Use Color And Contrast Masterfully In Your Design Projects...
19. 3D House Design Mastery in Blender 3x - Graphics & Design
Learn 3D Modelling, 3D lighting & 3D Rendering - Architectural design - 3D Graphics - Full project in Blender 3x...
20. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers
Icon Set Design, E-book cover, Digitizing Sketches, Social Media Design, Wordpress Web Design, Adobe Xd, GIFS and more!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for chief drafters
The most affordable schools for chief drafters are Brigham Young University, inter american university of puerto rico arecibo, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.
If the best universities for chief 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 chief drafters.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German
San German, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
14,322
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Cost of attendance
28,501
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief drafters
The hardest universities for chief drafters to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for chief 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 chief 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. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief drafters
The easiest schools for chief drafters to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and cleveland state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief 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 chief drafters.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
3. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
4. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
5. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,050
6. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
7. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
8. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
9. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
10. Saint Francis University
Loretto, PA • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
1,146
Average chief drafter salary by education level
| Chief drafter education level | Chief drafter salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,002 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,747 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,116 |
Chief drafter education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for chief drafter jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025