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AutoCAD and drafting courses in Iowa

10 CAD and drafting programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

5 schools offer these drafting programs, and Iowa has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Drafters use computer-aided design (CAD) software to turn the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. Most complete an associate degree in drafting at a community college or technical school, about two years full time, while some earn a certificate or diploma that usually takes less time; certification isn't required.1

In Iowa, 8 of the 10 programs take students without a high school diploma and 2 ask for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 10 programs here are drafting and design certificate or diploma (5 programs), drafting and design (associate degree, 3 programs), architectural drafting certificate (1 program) and architectural drafting (associate degree, 1 program).

See the 10 programs

How much do CAD and drafting courses cost in Iowa?

$4,502 to $12,637 is what most CAD and drafting programs in Iowa cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 10 programs with a price. All of them: $2,404 to $14,342

In the typical program

Finished the program
41%
Working 6 months later
85%
Earned a year, estimated
about $43,700
Length
34 to 64 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Iowa may also offer CAD and drafting courses. How these figures are made

Are there free CAD and drafting courses in Iowa?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 10 CAD and drafting programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

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10 programs

How to pay for CAD and drafting courses in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for CAD and drafting courses in Iowa

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for CAD and drafting courses

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for CAD and drafting courses

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: AutoCAD and drafting courses in Iowa

programs with a price cost under $5,000
3 of 10
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
25th of 30
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
8 of 12
CAD and drafting programs here, against the typical state's 7
10 vs 7

State comparisons use the same figures as the CAD and drafting courses by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

AutoCAD and drafting courses in Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and other Iowa cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 1 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Iowa

How CAD and drafting courses compare with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Iowa

Where the Iowa drafting program numbers come from

Which Iowa drafting programs are on this list?

These are the drafting programs Iowa approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Iowa offers.

How the prices and results of Iowa drafting programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about CAD and drafting courses in Iowa

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Drafters
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List