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2024 Best Drafting & Design Engineering Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

15 Colleges in the Plains States Region
423 Associate Degrees
$40,264 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your associate degree in drafting & design engineering technology, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #48 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for drafting & design engineering technology students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 423 associate degrees in drafting & design engineering technology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Drafting & Design Engineering Technology School for Your Associate Degree

Best Drafting & Design Engineering Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region The design engineering tech associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their associate degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for drafting & design engineering technology students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Design Engineering Tech Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The design engineering tech school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Drafting & Design Engineering Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Drafting & Design Engineering Technology in the Plains States Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in drafting & design engineering technology.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools for an Associate in Design Engineering Tech

1
Hennepin Technical College crest
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, MN
40 Annual Graduates
$43,921 Median Starting Salary
$20,250 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat Hennepin Technical College if you want to pursue an associate degree in drafting & design engineering technology. Located in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, Hennepin Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Associate recipients from the drafting & design engineering technology degree program at Hennepin Technical College make $3,657 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Hennepin Technical College

2
23 Annual Graduates
$47,333 Median Starting Salary
$20,625 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat Dunwoody College of Technology if you wish to pursue an associate degree in drafting & design engineering technology. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Dunwoody College of Technology is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Drafting & Design Engineering Technology associate degree recipients from Dunwoody College of Technology earn a boost of approximately $7,069 above the typical income of drafting & design engineering technology majors.

More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Dunwoody College of Technology

3
Ridgewater College crest
Ridgewater College
Willmar, MN
14 Annual Graduates

Ridgewater College is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in drafting & design engineering technology. Ridgewater College is a small public college located in the town of Willmar.More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Ridgewater College

4
37 Annual Graduates
$33,940 Median Starting Salary
$15,252 Median Student Debt

Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in drafting & design engineering technology. WSU Tech is a moderately-sized public university located in the rural area of Wichita.

Associate students who receive their degree from the design engineering tech program make around $33,940 for their early career.

More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology

5
25 Annual Graduates
$40,795 Median Starting Salary
$11,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Saint Cloud, St Cloud Technical and Community College is a public college with a small student population.

Soon after graduation, design engineering tech associate recipients generally make an average of $40,795 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from St Cloud Technical and Community College

6
Kirkwood Community College crest
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, IA

Located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a public college with a large student population.

After graduation, design engineering tech associate recipients typically make around $41,575 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Kirkwood Community College

7

Northeast is a moderately-sized public college located in the town of Norfolk.

Associate recipients from the drafting & design engineering technology program at Northeast Community College earn $2,701 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Northeast Community College

8
14 Annual Graduates
$35,471 Median Starting Salary
$12,984 Median Student Debt

Located in the large suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public college with a very large student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the design engineering tech program make an average of $35,471 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Des Moines Area Community College

9
10 Annual Graduates

Located in the rural area of Rosemount, DCTC is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Dakota County Technical College

10
10 Annual Graduates
$41,100 Median Starting Salary
$14,697 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Anoka, Anoka Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Soon after graduation, design engineering tech associate recipients usually make around $41,100 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in drafting & design engineering technology from Anoka Technical College

Best Drafting & Design Engineering Technology Colleges by State

Explore the best drafting & design engineering technology colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 151 191
Kansas 146 64
Missouri 117 53
Iowa 116 40
Nebraska 98 56
South Dakota 93 19

View All Rankings >

One of 18 majors within the Engineering Technologies area of study, Drafting & Design Engineering Technology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Design Engineering Tech Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology 123
Architectural Drafting & Architectural CAD/CADD 118
General Drafting & Design Technology 91
Mechanical Drafting & Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD 78
Civil Drafting & Civil Engineering CAD/CADD 9
Electrical/Electronics Drafting & Electrical/Electronics CAD/CADD 4

Majors Similar to Design Engineering Tech

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electronics Engineering Technology 501
Electromechanical Engineering Technology 484
Industrial Production Technology 271
Computer Engineering Technology 165
Civil Engineering Technology 125
Energy Systems Technologies 84
Environmental Control Technology 74
Quality Control Technology 56
Engineering-Related Technologies 54
Mechanical Engineering Technology 48

Notes and References

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