Ridgewater College: Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians

Associate's degree · CIP 15.13 · All credentials fully online · Willmar, MN

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $56,493 one year after completing. The median federal loan debt of graduates was $24,489. Nationally, graduates of associate's degree programs in this field earned a median of $49,077 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$56,493
18 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
Data unavailable
Data unavailable
Median federal debt
$24,489
23 borrowers Verified data
Debt to first-year earnings
0.43x
median debt / median earnings Calculated estimate

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$56,493$49,077
Median earnings 4 years after completionSuppressed for privacy$55,895
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)$24,489$12,796 Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)$278
Graduates in the most recent year132,713 across 413 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

OccupationMedian wage, all workersChange 2025 to 2035
Architectural and civil drafters$66,150+5.2%
Electrical and electronics drafters$76,870-3.4%
Mechanical drafters$71,550-6.0%
Drafters, all other$63,520-7.3%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Hennepin Technical College
MN · Public
$60,479$13,500
Fox Valley Technical College
WI · Public
$56,137Data unavailable
Lamar Institute of Technology
TX · Public
$55,894Data unavailable
Waukesha County Technical College
WI · Public
$55,259$11,500
College of Western Idaho
ID · Public
$55,241Data unavailable
Dunwoody College of Technology
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$54,944$12,000
Minnesota State College Southeast
MN · Public
$54,926Data unavailable
Austin Community College District
TX · Public
$53,795$13,432
St Cloud Technical and Community College
MN · Public
$53,268Data unavailable
Northcentral Technical College
WI · Public
$53,236Data unavailable

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Ridgewater College Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Associate's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence