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AutoCAD and drafting courses in Louisiana

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

11 schools offer these drafting programs, and Louisiana 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 Louisiana, 7 of the 14 programs take students without a high school diploma and 7 ask for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 14 programs here are drafting and design (associate degree, 9 programs), drafting and design certificate or diploma (3 programs) and AutoCAD course (2 programs).

See the 14 programs

How much do CAD and drafting courses cost in Louisiana?

Two-year degrees (9 programs)
$8,948 to $10,508most of them, usually 60 to 80 weeks long
Other drafting programs (5 programs)
$2,995 to $4,911most of them, usually 26 to 32 weeks long

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program
Left out
Half of Louisiana's programs report exactly 100%
Working 6 months later
Left out
Most of Louisiana's programs report exactly 100%, which no other state comes close to
Earned a year, estimated
about $76,400
Length
32 to 69 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 Louisiana may also offer CAD and drafting courses. How these figures are made

Are there free CAD and drafting courses in Louisiana?

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

All 14 CAD and drafting programs in Louisiana approved for WIOA funding

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14 programs

How to pay for CAD and drafting courses in Louisiana

WIOA funding can pay for CAD and drafting courses in Louisiana

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 Louisiana

programs with a price cost under $5,000
4 of 14
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
29th of 30
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
12 of 12
CAD and drafting programs here, against the typical state's 7
14 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 Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Slidell and other Louisiana cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 2 more programs are in 2 other areas and 2 online.

Other training in Louisiana

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

Where the Louisiana drafting program numbers come from

Which Louisiana drafting programs are on this list?

These are the drafting programs Louisiana 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 Louisiana offers.

How the prices and results of Louisiana 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.

How reliable are the Louisiana figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Louisiana among the states with "known data quality concerns".10 We leave out the share working 6 months later for Louisiana: most of its programs report exactly 100%, which no other state comes close to. We leave out the share who finished for Louisiana: half of its programs report exactly 100%.

Sources for the facts about CAD and drafting courses in Louisiana

Show the 10 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
  10. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns