2027 Best Value CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology/Technician Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology/Technician](/majors/engineering-technologies/drafting-design-engineering-technology/cad-cadd-drafting-and-or-design-technology-technician/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 17 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology/Technician Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology/Technician Schools
Leading the list is Joliet Junior College, our #1 best value for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the suburb of Joliet, Joliet Junior College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,530, with out-of-state students paying around $13,800. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $11,995 in student loans. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $40,118. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician will find it at Illinois Valley Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Oglesby, Illinois Valley Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,200 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $16,385. Typical student debt for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates is $8,099. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates of Illinois Valley Community College earn a median of $33,224 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Henry Ford Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician, landing the #3 spot this year. Henry Ford Community College is a large public school located in the city of Dearborn. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,568, compared with $7,816 for out-of-state students. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $18,876 in student loans. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $36,247. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Lewis And Clark Community College one of the best values for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician. Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Godfrey. Students from in state pay about $4,340 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,840. Students borrow a median of $9,602 to complete the cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician program here. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $41,313. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Triton College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of River Grove, Triton College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,070 in tuition and fees, compared with $15,330 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,994 to complete the cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician program here. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates of Triton College earn a median of $43,278 early in their careers. Set against $12,994 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Oakton Community College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician schools. Located in the city of Des Plaines, Oakton Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,985, while out-of-state students pay about $12,462. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $7,750 in student loans. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates of Oakton Community College earn a median of $48,838 early in their careers. Set against $7,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Elgin Community College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician schools. Set in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,252, compared with $9,516 for out-of-state students. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $7,727 in student loans. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $43,975. That is a strong return on a $7,727 median debt.
Stark State College landed the #8 spot for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician value this year. Located in the suburb of North Canton, Stark State College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,790, with out-of-state students paying around $7,886. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $17,349 in student loans. Soon after graduation, cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician degree recipients from Stark State College generally make around $42,724. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Mchenry County College came in at #9 for value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician this year. Set in the rural area of Crystal Lake, Mchenry County College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,162, while out-of-state students pay about $14,399. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $7,440 in student loans. Soon after graduation, cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician degree recipients from Mchenry County College generally make around $24,177. That is a strong return on a $7,440 median debt.
Ivy Tech Community College landed the #10 spot for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician value this year. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. Students from in state pay about $5,154 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,935 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,151 to complete the cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician degree recipients from Ivy Tech Community College generally make around $41,467. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
College Of Dupage earned the #11 position for value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician this year. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,560, compared with $12,750 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,492 to complete the cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician program here. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $43,025. That is a strong return on a $12,492 median debt.
College Of Lake County earned the #12 position for value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician this year. Located in the suburb of Grayslake, College Of Lake County is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,788, with out-of-state students paying around $14,400. Typical student debt for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates is $9,785. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $50,314. Set against $9,785 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College landed the #13 spot for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician value this year. Set in the city of Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,960, with out-of-state students paying around $7,203. Students borrow a median of $14,997 to complete the cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician program here. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $42,016. That is a strong return on a $14,997 median debt.
Northcentral Technical College came in at #14 for value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician this year. Northcentral Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Wausau. Students from in state pay about $4,889 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,132. Students borrow a median of $8,000 to complete the cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician program here. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $53,105. That is a strong return on a $8,000 median debt.
Waubonsee Community College came in at #15 for value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician this year. Waubonsee Community College is a large public school located in the rural area of Sugar Grove. In-state tuition and fees average $3,504, compared with $10,464 for out-of-state students. Cad/cadd Drafting &/or Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $9,939 in student loans. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $39,659. That is a strong return on a $9,939 median debt.
Terra State Community College earned the #16 position for value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician this year. Set in the rural area of Fremont, Terra State Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,748, while out-of-state students pay about $8,544. Typical student debt for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates is $24,070. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $63,495. That is a strong return on a $24,070 median debt.
Trine University came in at #17 for value in cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician this year. Set in the town of Angola, Trine University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $36,560. Typical student debt for cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates is $27,000. Early-career cad/cadd drafting &/or design technology/technician graduates make about $65,013. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Narrow CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology/Technician Schools by State
More CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology/Technician Rankings
View All CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology/Technician Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 17 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
