Design Engineering Technologies at Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
Angola, IN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
66
Optimistic
64
Base Case
61
Pessimistic
Earnings
$65,013/yr (14% vs median)
AI Risk
High (40% exposed)
Job Market
Medium (16,300 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Design Engineering Technologies graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $845K | $596K | $462K |
| Earnings Multiple | 22.1x | 15.6x | 12.1x |
| Viable Career Paths | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 3 of 4 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 66 | 64 | 61 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition
$38,304
Median Debt at Graduation
$27,000
5.0 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$81,146
25% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Design Engineering Technologies graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 16,300 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and electronics drafters | $73,720 | 1,700 | -5.6% | 57% |
| Mechanical drafters | $68,510 | 3,300 | -6.5% | 50% |
| Architectural and civil drafters | $64,280 | 10,000 | +4.1% | 54% |
| Drafters, all other | $62,010 | 1,300 | -6.9% | 0% |
Compare & Explore
Design Engineering Technologies at Other Schools
Other Majors at Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Design Engineering Technologies at Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses?
This program scores 64/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 66 (optimistic) to 61 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Design Engineering Technologies career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Design Engineering Technologies graduates retain 4 of 4 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $462,417 (pessimistic) to $844,865 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Design Engineering Technologies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Design Engineering Technologies have roughly 16,300 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Design Engineering Technologies at Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 15.6x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 12.1x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.