Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Phoenix College

With comparable drafting programs nationally showing first-year earnings around $45,400 and estimated debt of roughly $13,000, this associate degree appears to offer solid technical training at a manageable cost. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 suggests graduates could realistically pay off their loans within a few years—a meaningful advantage for students entering the workforce quickly rather than continuing to a bachelor's degree.

The limitation here is uncertainty. Since Phoenix College hasn't reported outcomes for enough graduates to generate published data, we're relying on what similar two-year drafting programs produce elsewhere. Arizona has seven schools offering this credential, but none have publicly available earnings data, making it difficult to assess how this specific program performs against local alternatives. The estimated figures place Phoenix College right at the national median, which is reasonable but not exceptional.

For parents weighing this option, the key question is whether your student is committed to drafting as a career path. The economics look workable if they complete the degree and enter the field, but without school-specific data, you're accepting more risk than with programs that have proven track records. Visit the campus, talk to faculty about job placement rates, and ask whether graduates typically find work locally—those conversations matter more when the numbers are estimates rather than actual outcomes.