Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 43 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$32,569 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
7.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
+29%Modeled 10-year ROI
$59,496Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$59,496Median reported earnings · year 4
$56,336Average reported earnings · year 5
$13,250Median federal debt
71thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
43Reporting programs
40With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,406
- Federal debt
- $12,965
- Reporting programs
- 19
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,496
- Federal debt
- $13,250
- Reporting programs
- 43
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,326
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Reporting programs
- 9
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,613
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,453
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 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$54,148National median$59,49675th percentile$63,412
40 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1SUNY College of Technology at Delhi$72,5302CUNY New York City College of Technology$71,7493Ferris State University$67,9134Century College$67,4785Spokane Community College$66,8596Austin Community College District$65,4757Dunwoody College of Technology$64,7198Madison Area Technical College$64,5659Northeast Community College$63,77610Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College$63,498Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Architectural and Civil DraftersSOC 17-3011 · 5 crosswalk linksDrafters, All OtherSOC 17-3019 · 4 crosswalk linksElectrical and Electronics DraftersSOC 17-3012 · 4 crosswalk linksMechanical DraftersSOC 17-3013 · 4 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUNY College of Technology at DelhiAssociate's Degree | Delhi, NY | $72,530 | Not available | +121% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | CUNY New York City College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $71,749 | Not available | +167% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Ferris State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Big Rapids, MI | $67,913 | Not available | +114% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Century CollegeAssociate's Degree | White Bear Lake, MN | $67,478 | Not available | +101% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Spokane Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Spokane, WA | $66,859 | Not available | +117% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Austin Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree | Austin, TX | $65,475 | $14,000 | +99% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Dunwoody College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $64,719 | $20,625 | +37% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Madison Area Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Madison, WI | $64,565 | Not available | +65% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Northeast Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Norfolk, NE | $63,776 | Not available | +75% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Perkinston, MS | $63,498 | $10,625 | +78% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Northcentral Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Wausau, WI | $63,412 | $8,000 | +66% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | San Jacinto Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pasadena, TX | $63,403 | Not available | +61% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Hennepin Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn Park, MN | $63,030 | $20,250 | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | Valencia CollegeAssociate's Degree | Orlando, FL | $62,497 | Not available | +53% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | Dakota County Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rosemount, MN | $62,459 | Not available | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Front Range Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Westminster, CO | $60,510 | Not available | +34% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | Houston City CollegeAssociate's Degree | Houston, TX | $60,458 | $12,040 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | St Cloud Technical and Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Saint Cloud, MN | $60,100 | $11,500 | +38% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | Des Moines Area Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Ankeny, IA | $59,996 | $12,984 | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | Waukesha County Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pewaukee, WI | $59,490 | $14,500 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Mott Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Flint, MI | $59,314 | Not available | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Minnesota State College SoutheastAssociate's Degree | Winona, MN | $58,135 | Not available | +7% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | Macomb Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Warren, MI | $56,351 | $8,296 | +22% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | ITI Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | $55,773 | $20,283 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Anoka Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Anoka, MN | $55,198 | $14,697 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | SOWELA Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Lake Charles, LA | $55,019 | Not available | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Thaddeus Stevens College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Lancaster, PA | $54,615 | $12,000 | -19% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Tidewater Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Norfolk, VA | $54,518 | Not available | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Minnesota State Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fergus Falls, MN | $54,350 | $12,513 | -19% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Southeast Community College AreaAssociate's Degree | Lincoln, NE | $54,148 | $16,437 | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Ivy Tech Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Indianapolis, IN | $53,556 | $12,151 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | College of Western IdahoAssociate's Degree | Nampa, ID | $52,926 | Not available | -26% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Pennsylvania College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Williamsport, PA | $52,616 | $16,487 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Texas State Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Waco, TX | $52,041 | $13,500 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | State Technical College of MissouriAssociate's Degree | Linn, MO | $50,606 | $11,350 | -53% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Vincennes UniversityAssociate's Degree | Vincennes, IN | $48,459 | Not available | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | YTI Career Institute-YorkAssociate's Degree | York, PA | $48,420 | Not available | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Central New Mexico Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Albuquerque, NM | $44,483 | Not available | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Wichita, KS | $44,422 | $15,252 | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Southern Maine Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | South Portland, ME | Not available | $13,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $11,086 |
| 41 | Grand Rapids Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Grand Rapids, MI | Not available | $11,748 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $8,621 |
| 42 | Oakland Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Auburn Hills, MI | Not available | $13,750 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,777 |
| 43 | Pittsburgh Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $59,501 | $16,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
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.