2027 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/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general drafting & design technology/technician education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for general drafting & design technology/technician students.
What’s on this page:
2027 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
Metropolitan Community College Area tops our 2027 list of the best value general drafting & design technology/technician schools in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Omaha, Metropolitan Community College Area is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,375 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $4,950. Typical student debt for general drafting & design technology/technician graduates is $12,799. Early-career general drafting & design technology/technician graduates make about $45,583. Set against $12,799 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes St Charles Community College one of the best values for general drafting & design technology/technician. Located in the suburb of Cottleville, St Charles Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,810, compared with $7,620 for out-of-state students. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $12,606 in student loans. Early-career general drafting & design technology/technician graduates make about $47,228. That is a strong return on a $12,606 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general drafting & design technology/technician will find it at Ozarks Technical Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Springfield, Ozarks Technical Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,256 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,040. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $15,866 in student loans. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates of Ozarks Technical Community College earn a median of $36,644 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,866 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Community College earned it the #4 place for general drafting & design technology/technician. Located in the city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,360, while out-of-state students pay about $4,800. Typical student debt for general drafting & design technology/technician graduates is $10,277. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates of Central Community College earn a median of $43,218 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Metropolitan Community College Kansas City earned it the #5 place for general drafting & design technology/technician. Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a large public school located in the city of Kansas City. Students from in state pay about $3,630 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,600. Typical student debt for general drafting & design technology/technician graduates is $12,281. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates of Metropolitan Community College Kansas City earn a median of $46,660 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,281 median debt.
Wichita Area Technical College earned the #6 position for value in general drafting & design technology/technician this year. Set in the city of Wichita, Wichita Area Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,237. Students borrow a median of $15,252 to complete the general drafting & design technology/technician program here. Early-career general drafting & design technology/technician graduates make about $46,949. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Southeast Community College Area earned the #7 position for value in general drafting & design technology/technician this year. Set in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,444 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $4,032. Typical student debt for general drafting & design technology/technician graduates is $16,437. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates of Southeast Community College Area earn a median of $44,877 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,437 median debt.
Minnesota State Community And Technical College earned the #8 position for value in general drafting & design technology/technician this year. Located in the rural area of Fergus Falls, Minnesota State Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,908. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $12,513 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general drafting & design technology/technician degree recipients from Minnesota State Community And Technical College generally make around $42,972. That is a strong return on a $12,513 median debt.
Linn State Technical College landed the #9 spot for general drafting & design technology/technician value this year. Linn State Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Linn. In-state tuition and fees average $8,160, while out-of-state students pay about $14,610. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $11,350 in student loans. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates of Linn State Technical College earn a median of $49,789 early in their careers. Set against $11,350 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Minnesota State College Southeast Technical ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value general drafting & design technology/technician schools. Set in the town of Winona, Minnesota State College Southeast Technical is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,432 in tuition and fees. General Drafting & Design Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $22,522 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general drafting & design technology/technician degree recipients from Minnesota State College Southeast Technical generally make around $50,290. That is a strong return on a $22,522 median debt.
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
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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.