2026 Best Value General Drafting & Design Technology/Technician Schools in the The Plains States Region
[General Drafting & Design Technology/Technician](/majors/engineering-technologies/drafting-design-engineering-technology/drafting-and-design-technology-technician-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general drafting & design technology/technician education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 18 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general drafting & design technology/technician schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Drafting & Design Technology/Technician Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general drafting & design technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Drafting & Design Technology/Technician Schools
Our analysis ranked Metropolitan Community College Area the best value for a degree in general drafting & design technology/technician in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Omaha, Metropolitan Community College Area is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,375, compared with $4,950 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general drafting & design technology/technician graduates is $12,799. Soon after graduation, general drafting & design technology/technician degree recipients from Metropolitan Community College Area generally make around $45,583. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Seward County Community College And Area Technical School came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general drafting & design technology/technician schools. Set in the town of Liberal, Seward County Community College And Area Technical School is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,032, while out-of-state students pay about $5,408. Typical student debt for general drafting & design technology/technician graduates is $9,175. Soon after graduation, general drafting & design technology/technician degree recipients from Seward County Community College And Area Technical School generally make around $53,375. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes St Charles Community College one of the best values for general drafting & design technology/technician. St Charles Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Cottleville. Students from in state pay about $3,810 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,620. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $12,606 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general drafting & design technology/technician degree recipients from St Charles Community College generally make around $47,228. That is a strong return on a $12,606 median debt.
Central Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general drafting & design technology/technician, landing the #4 spot this year. Central Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Grand Island. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,360, compared with $4,800 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,277 to complete the general drafting & design technology/technician program here. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates of Central Community College earn a median of $43,218 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,277 median debt.
Metropolitan Community College Kansas City came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general drafting & design technology/technician schools. Set in the city of Kansas City, Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,630, while out-of-state students pay about $9,600. Students borrow a median of $12,281 to complete the general drafting & design technology/technician program here. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates of Metropolitan Community College Kansas City earn a median of $46,660 early in their careers. Set against $12,281 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ozarks Technical Community College placed #6 among the best values for general drafting & design technology/technician. Set in the city of Springfield, Ozarks Technical Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,256, with out-of-state students paying around $7,040. Students borrow a median of $15,866 to complete the general drafting & design technology/technician program here. Early-career general drafting & design technology/technician graduates make about $36,644. Set against $15,866 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southeast Community College Area placed #7 among the best values for general drafting & design technology/technician. Located in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,444, with out-of-state students paying around $4,032. Students borrow a median of $16,437 to complete the general drafting & design technology/technician program here. Early-career general drafting & design technology/technician graduates make about $44,877. Set against $16,437 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Wichita Area Technical College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value general drafting & design technology/technician schools. Located in the city of Wichita, Wichita Area Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $7,237 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $15,252 to complete the general drafting & design technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, general drafting & design technology/technician degree recipients from Wichita Area Technical College generally make around $46,949. That is a strong return on a $15,252 median debt.
Linn State Technical College came in at #9 for value in general drafting & design technology/technician this year. Located in the rural area of Linn, Linn State Technical College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,160, while out-of-state students pay about $14,610. Typical student debt for general drafting & design technology/technician graduates is $11,350. Soon after graduation, general drafting & design technology/technician degree recipients from Linn State Technical College generally make around $49,789. Set against $11,350 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Western Dakota Technical Institute landed the #10 spot for general drafting & design technology/technician value this year. Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public school located in the city of Rapid City. Students from in state pay about $8,294 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general drafting & design technology/technician graduates is $15,620. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates of Western Dakota Technical Institute earn a median of $37,839 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,620 median debt.
Minnesota State College Southeast Technical came in at #11 for value in general drafting & design technology/technician this year. Minnesota State College Southeast Technical is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Winona. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,432. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $22,522 in student loans. Early-career general drafting & design technology/technician graduates make about $50,290. Set against $22,522 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Narrow General Drafting & Design Technology/Technician Schools by State
More General Drafting & Design Technology/Technician Rankings
View All General Drafting & Design Technology/Technician Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
