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Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools

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2023 Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

123 Colleges
$5,448 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$43,263 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Drafting & Design Engineering Technology School for You

In 2020-2021, 8,964 people earned a degree or certificate in drafting and design engineering technology, making the major the #154 most popular in the United States.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 123 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for design engineering tech students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Technology Schools in the United States

Check out the design engineering tech programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 15% Best Drafting & Design Engineering Technology Schools

#1

Lee College

Baytown, TX

Our analysis found Lee College to be the best value school for drafting and design engineering technology students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Lee College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Baytown.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Lee College are $4,302 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Lee College also is in the top 20% of our Best Drafting & Design Engineering Schools ranking.

Read More…

#2

Baton Rouge Community College

Baton Rouge, LA
$4,221 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baton Rouge Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list. BRCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Baton Rouge.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BRCC are $4,221 a year.

Read full report on Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Baton Rouge Community College

#3

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN

The excellent programs at Ridgewater College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best drafting and design engineering technology schools in the United States. Located in the remote town of Willmar, Ridgewater College is a public school with a small student population.

Ridgewater College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,914 in tuition and fees each year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Ridgewater College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list.

Full Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Ridgewater College Report

$4,826 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Iowa Tech Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list. Located in the small city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Western Iowa Tech Community College are $4,826 a year.

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$5,010 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeast Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list. Located in the remote town of Norfolk, Northeast is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeast are $5,010 per year.

Read More…

#6

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, TX
$4,440 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Tyler Junior College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for drafting and design engineering technology students. Tyler Junior College is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Tyler.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tyler Junior College are $4,440 per year.

Full Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Tyler Junior College Report

$3,780 Average Tuition & Fees

Southeast Community College Area did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for drafting and design engineering technology students. It came in at #7 on the list. Southeast Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Lincoln.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southeast Community College are $3,780 a year. After completing their degree, design engineering tech graduates from Southeast Community College carry an average student debtload of $16,500.

Full Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Southeast Community College Area Report

$6,603 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Waukesha County Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for drafting and design engineering technology students. WCTC is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee.

WCTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,603 in tuition and fees each year. On average, design engineering tech graduates from WCTC take out $14,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Waukesha County Technical College

$3,981 Average Tuition & Fees

Fletcher Technical Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools ranking. Fletcher Technical Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Schriever.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Fletcher Technical Community College are $3,981 per year.

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$4,265 Average Tuition & Fees

SOWELA Technical Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drafting and design engineering technology programs. Located in the small city of Lake Charles, SOWELA is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SOWELA are $4,265 per year.

Read full report on Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at SOWELA Technical Community College

#11

Hennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN
$5,741 Average Tuition & Fees

Hennepin Technical College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drafting and design engineering technology programs. Located in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, Hennepin Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hennepin Technical College are $5,741 per year.

Read full report on Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Hennepin Technical College

Madison Area Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list. Madison College is a large public school located in the city of Madison.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Madison College are $6,769 per year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Madison College also is in the top 5% of our Best Drafting & Design Engineering Schools ranking.

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Alexandria Technical & Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for drafting and design engineering technology students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the town of Alexandria, ATCC is a public school with a small student population.

ATCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,910 in tuition and fees each year.

ATCC also claimed a spot on our Best Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Alexandria Technical & Community College

St Cloud Technical and Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St Cloud Technical and Community College is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at St Cloud Technical and Community College are $5,874 a year. The average amount in student loans that design engineering tech majors at St Cloud Technical and Community College take out is $12,000.

In addition to its great value ranking, St Cloud Technical and Community College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list.

Full Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at St Cloud Technical and Community College Report

Chippewa Valley Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for drafting and design engineering technology students. It came in at #15 on the list. CVTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CVTC are $6,683 a year.

In addition to its great value ranking, CVTC is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list.

Full Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Chippewa Valley Technical College Report

$5,040 Average Tuition & Fees

San Jacinto Community College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drafting and design engineering technology programs. San Jacinto College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Pasadena.

San Jacinto College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,040 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at San Jacinto Community College Report

$7,860 Average Tuition & Fees

Alpena Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools ranking. Alpena Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Alpena.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Alpena Community College are $7,860 a year.

Full Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Alpena Community College Report

#18

Amarillo College

Amarillo, TX
$4,704 Average Tuition & Fees

Amarillo College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools list. Located in the city of Amarillo, Amarillo College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Amarillo College are $4,704 per year.

Full Drafting & Design Engineering Technology at Amarillo College Report

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools award.

Rank College Location
19 South Louisiana Community College Lafayette, LA
20 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Fort Wayne, IN
21 Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA
22 Spokane Community College Spokane, WA
23 Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI
24 Anoka Technical College Anoka, MN

Drafting & Design Engineering Technology by Region

View the Best Value Drafting & Design Engineering Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 18 majors within the area of study, drafting and design engineering technology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Industrial Production Technology 11,906
Electromechanical Engineering Technology 10,593
Environmental Control Technology 8,690
Electronics Engineering Technology 8,592
Engineering-Related Fields 6,736

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Pixabay.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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