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Draftsman/designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a draftsman/designer. Draftsman/designers usually study drafting and design, architecture, or mechanical engineering. 51% of draftsman/designers hold a associate degree, and 33% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 5,243 real draftsman/designer resumes to see exactly what draftsman/designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for draftsman/designers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online draftsman/designer courses to help get the education required to be a draftsman/designer.
There are certain draftsman/designer certifications that you should consider. These draftsman/designer certifications include Certified Agile Developer (CAD) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become a draftsman/designer?
What degree do you need to be a draftsman/designer?
- Associate, 51%
- Bachelor's, 33%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a draftsman/designer?
- Drafting And Design, 40%
- Architecture, 11%
- Engineering, 4%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for draftsman/designers
| Draftsman/designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 13.24% |
| University of Houston | 7.31% |
| Kent State University | 6.39% |
| New York Institute of Technology | 6.39% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.48% |
Best majors for draftsman/designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drafting And Design | 40.4% |
| 2 | Architecture | 10.9% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.7% |
| 4 | Engineering | 4.1% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 3.9% |
Best colleges for draftsman/designers
The best colleges for draftsman/designers are Carnegie Mellon University, Tufts University, and Yale University.
A draftsman/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 draftsman/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 draftsman/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. 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 draftsman/designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for draftsman/designers
The most affordable schools for draftsman/designers are Florida International University, university of puerto rico - rio piedras campus, and florida atlantic university.
If the best universities for draftsman/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 draftsman/designers.
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 draftsman/designers
The hardest universities for draftsman/designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Tufts University, and Yale University.
Some great schools for draftsman/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 draftsman/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. 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
6%
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
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
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 draftsman/designers
The easiest schools for draftsman/designers 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 a draftsman/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 draftsman/designers.
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 draftsman/designer salary by education level
| Draftsman/designer education level | Draftsman/designer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $55,405 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,104 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,296 |
Draftsman/designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025