College Crunch

Drafting can go by many names and cover a few different areas such as structural engineering and computer aided drafting which is commonly called CAD. No matter what the program is called, it all boils down to drawing plans for architects, engineers, and private planners and managers who operate at local, state and federal levels. You will learn how to use traditional drafting equipment such as drafting machines, drawing tools and programs such as AutoCAD. Drafters are constantly in high demand all across the world and can easily become a rewarding career in construction drafting, interior design, and much more. Industrial Design goes hand in hand with drafting and covers a lot of the same materials. Let’s take a look at the top 5 schools that offer degrees in drafting and industrial design..

ITT Technical Institute

ITT Tech has a very long history of providing distance education and has offered a program in computer drafting and design for decades. In this program you will learn how to put your ideas on paper and create plans for everything from products to structures. If you are interested in how buildings and products are created from the ground up, ITT offers you all the skills you need to work alongside engineers, architects, and city planners.

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Westwood College

Westwood consistently ranks in the top 5 when it comes to getting a degree from home and drafting is no exception. The program available from Westwood is very comprehensive and you will turn your desire to create into a rewarding, full-time career in as little as 2 years. This is an associates degree and you will cover areas such as residential design, commercial design, construction documents, AutoCAD, and more. Westwood has many locations across the United States making it convenient for people everywhere if they decide to attend at a local campus but the biggest draw with this school is it’s very popular online program.

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The Art Institutes

The Art Institutes offers a degree in industrial design. This program offers you the skills you will need to become a designer of everything from chairs to vehicles. The Art Institutes probably isn’t where you want to go if you are solely interested in architecture but covers everything else in great depth. There are 4 programs available and they are Entertainment Design, Industrial Design, Industrial Design Technology, and Set & Exhibit Design. Each of these programs focuses on a specific design niche so you can choose which one appeals to you the most. The Art Institutes has schools located all across North America and offers many of its classes online.

Academy of Art University

The Academy of Art University is based in San Francisco but offers one of the very best programs in the nation when it comes to design. Some programs are offered online but not all of them. The drafting and industrial design programs offered at this school are: Architecture and Industrial Design Studies and both are offered online and are fully accredited with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The architecture program if for the designer who really wants to focus on buildings alone whine the industrial design studies program is for those who want to create everything from couches to cars. The online program from this school covers everything from an associates degree to a master’s degree.

The hardest part in deciding to pursue a degree in drafting or industrial design is figuring out where your passion lies. It could be in buildings, products ranging from toys to necessities, the entertainment industry, construction, and much more. If you love to draw and frequently create amazing buildings and sculptures on paper or on the computer, drafting and industrial design might be the perfect career choice for you.

An entry-level position working as a CAD Drafter has an average salary of just over $40,000 a year and an entry-level position working as an industrial designer has an average salary around $45,000 a year. As you gain experience, you can expect to make between $60,000 and $80,000 within 5-10 years depending on your location and if you decide to specialize in a certain area or work with government offices in any way.