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Draughtsman education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a draughtsman. Draughtsmen usually study mechanical engineering, architecture, or engineering. 47% of draughtsmen hold a diploma, and 28% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 406 real draughtsman resumes to see exactly what draughtsman education sections show.

The most common colleges for draughtsmen are the Midwestern University and the Midwestern University.

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

What education do you need to become a draughtsman?

What degree do you need to be a draughtsman?

The most common degree for draughtsmen is diploma, with 47% of draughtsmen earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 28% and bachelor's degree degree at 13%.
  • Diploma, 47%
  • Bachelor's, 28%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a draughtsman?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a draughtsman. 23% of draughtsmen major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a draughtsman include architecture and engineering.

Most common colleges for draughtsmen

Draughtsmen often get their degrees at Midwestern University, Southern Connecticut State University, and Northwestern University. Here are the most common colleges for draughtsmen in the US based on their resumes.
Draughtsman common collegePercentages
Midwestern University11.11%
Southern Connecticut State University11.11%
Northwestern University11.11%
South University11.11%
National University11.11%

Best majors for draughtsmen

RankMajorPercentages
1Mechanical Engineering22.9%
2Architecture16.7%
3Engineering8.3%
4English7.3%
5Civil Engineering6.3%

Best colleges for draughtsmen

The best colleges for draughtsmen are Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

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

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for draughtsmen

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Top 10 most affordable universities for draughtsmen

The most affordable schools for draughtsmen are University of Florida, university of puerto rico - mayaguez, and florida international university.

If the best universities for draughtsmen 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 draughtsmen.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

6. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for draughtsmen

The hardest universities for draughtsmen to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for draughtsmen 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 draughtsmen 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

9. Princeton University

Princeton, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,503

10. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,566

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for draughtsmen

The easiest schools for draughtsmen to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, ferris state university, and south dakota state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a draughtsman 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 draughtsmen.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

3. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

4. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

5. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

6. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

7. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

8. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

9. North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,170

10. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

Average draughtsman salary by education level

Draughtsmen with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $67,875 annually. With a Associate degree, draughtsmen earn a median annual income of $64,694 compared to $62,140 for draughtsmen with an High School Diploma degree.
Draughtsman education levelDraughtsman salary
High School Diploma or Less$62,140
Bachelor's Degree$67,875
Some College/ Associate Degree$64,694

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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