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Design Engineering Technologies at Trine University

Angola, IN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
49 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
52
Optimistic
49
Base Case
46
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 5.9x 4.2x 3.2x
Viable Career Paths 4 of 4 4 of 4 3 of 4
DegreeWorth Score 52 49 46

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition
$142,400
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

Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses ($65,013) Central Michigan University ($63,862) University of Central Missouri ($60,774) Western Michigan University ($60,153) Pennsylvania College of Technology ($57,854) Murray State University ($53,085) Academy of Art University ($48,978) Indiana University-Indianapolis ($36,798)

Other Majors at Trine University

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($73,923) Chemical Engineering ($72,875) Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($67,702) Computer Engineering ($67,500) Mechanical Engineering ($66,816) Civil Engineering ($65,700) Marketing ($51,244) Accounting and Related Services ($45,913)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Design Engineering Technologies at Trine University?
This program scores 49/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 52 (optimistic) to 46 (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 worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 4.2x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 3.2x. 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.