Drafting technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a drafting technician. Drafting technicians usually study drafting and design, business, or mechanical engineering. 51% of drafting technicians hold a associate degree, and 31% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,846 real drafting technician resumes to see exactly what drafting technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for drafting technicians are the New Mexico State University and the New Mexico State University.

There are also many online drafting technician courses to help get the education required to be a drafting technician.

There are certain drafting technician certifications that you should consider. These drafting technician certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Survey Technician (CST).

What education do you need to become a drafting technician?

What degree do you need to be a drafting technician?

The most common degree for drafting technicians is associate degree, with 51% of drafting technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 31% and bachelor's degree degree at 11%.

Associate, 51%

Bachelor's, 31%

High School Diploma, 11%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a drafting technician?

You should major in drafting and design to become a drafting technician. 43% of drafting technicians major in drafting and design. Other common majors for a drafting technician include business and mechanical engineering.

Drafting And Design, 43%

Business, 8%

Mechanical Engineering, 6%

Civil Engineering, 5%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for drafting technicians

Drafting technicians often get their degrees at New Mexico State University, Austin Community College, and Florida Technical College. Here are the most common colleges for drafting technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Drafting technician common college	Percentages
New Mexico State University	7.50%
Austin Community College	7.50%
Florida Technical College	6.25%
Western Washington University	6.25%
Jackson State University	6.25%

Show more common drafting technician colleges

Best majors for drafting technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Drafting And Design	43.5%
2	Business	7.5%
3	Mechanical Engineering	5.7%
4	Civil Engineering	4.6%
5	Architecture	4.3%

Show more common drafting technician majors

Best colleges for drafting technicians

The best colleges for drafting technicians are Carnegie Mellon University, Purdue University, and Rochester Institute of Technology.

A drafting technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for drafting technicians. 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 drafting technicians.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

3. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

4. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

5. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

7. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

8. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for drafting technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for drafting technicians

The most affordable schools for drafting technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university - idaho.

If the best universities for drafting technicians 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 drafting technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brigham Young University - Idaho

Rexburg, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$4,118

Cost of attendance

12,223

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. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Cost of attendance

19,807

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,194

Cost of attendance

14,934

9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

10. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Cost of attendance

17,885

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for drafting technicians

The hardest universities for drafting technicians to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Purdue University, and Rochester Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for drafting technicians 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 drafting technicians 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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

3. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,319

4. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

5. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,269

7. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,183

8. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

9. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,291

10. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

62%

SAT average

1,220

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for drafting technicians

The easiest schools for drafting technicians to get into are Ferris State University, purdue university fort wayne, and eastern michigan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a drafting technician 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 drafting technicians.

1. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

2. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

3. Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,025

4. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

5. Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,075

6. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

997

7. Indiana State University

Terre Haute, IN • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,019

8. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

9. University of Toledo

Toledo, OH • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

1,145

10. Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,062

Average drafting technician salary by education level

Drafting technicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $50,514 annually. With a Associate degree, drafting technicians earn a median annual income of $48,144 compared to $47,365 for drafting technicians with an Bachelor's degree.

Drafting technician education level	Drafting technician salary
Master's Degree	$50,514
High School Diploma or Less	$45,026
Bachelor's Degree	$47,365
Some College/ Associate Degree	$48,144

Drafting technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Drafting Technicians?

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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