BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 9 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$5,499 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
9.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+2%Estimated return after 10 years
$71,326Observed earnings · year 4
$20,815Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $1,375 per year below this threshold.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$83,260
$8,000Annual price+$51,260
$16,000Annual price+$19,260
$19,000Current college-wide context+$7,260
$24,000Annual price−$12,740
$32,000Annual price−$44,740
$40,000Annual price−$76,740
Outcomes at a glance
$71,326Typical earnings four years after completion
$69,483Average earnings five years after completion
$27,000Typical federal student debt
64thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
9College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
How much do Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $71,326 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $27,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $66,783 to $77,517 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 4 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,406
- Federal debt
- $12,965
- Programs in the comparison
- 19
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,496
- Federal debt
- $13,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 43
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,326
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,613
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,453
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$66,783National median$71,32675th percentile$77,517
9 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Western Michigan University
$84,622 four years after completionKalamazoo, MI · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversity of Central Missouri
$21,861 among completer borrowersWarrensburg, MO · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classAcademy of Art University
73 reported awards in 2024–25San Francisco, CA · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$84,064Observed year-4 earnings$58,862
Western Michigan University$15,273 price · $84,622 earningsCentral Michigan University$17,597 price · $84,064 earningsTrine University$25,355 price · $77,517 earningsTrine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses$15,788 price · $77,517 earningsUniversity of Central Missouri$14,462 price · $71,326 earningsPennsylvania College of Technology$25,110 price · $68,755 earningsAcademy of Art University$40,613 price · $66,783 earningsIndiana University-Indianapolis$11,668 price · $61,420 earningsMurray State University$9,096 price · $58,862 earnings
$9,096Annual college-wide average net price$25,355
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
9 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 9 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Western Michigan University$84,6222Central Michigan University$84,0643Trine University$77,5174Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses$77,5175University of Central Missouri$71,3266Pennsylvania College of Technology$68,7557Academy of Art University$66,7838Indiana University-Indianapolis$61,4209Murray State University$58,862Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-9%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Architectural and Civil Drafters$66,150 median wage103,700 jobs nationwide+5.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$46,260–$99,710 typical wage rangeElectrical and Electronics Drafters$76,870 median wage17,920 jobs nationwide-3.4% projected growth through 2035 · 1,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$50,040–$120,290 typical wage rangeMechanical Drafters$71,550 median wage39,960 jobs nationwide-6.0% projected growth through 2035 · 2,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$48,360–$106,580 typical wage rangeDrafters, All Other$63,520 median wage14,470 jobs nationwide-7.3% projected growth through 2035 · 1,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$43,420–$99,380 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.