Platemaker/Imager Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Platemaker/Imager — headline outcomes are in the stats below. Median in-state published tuition is about $4,334.
Key Statistics
Platemaker/Imager: what the data shows
Common questions about platemaker/imager degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a platemaker/imager degree?
A Platemaker/Imager program is classified under NCES CIP 10.0306 in the Graphic Communications field family (10.03).
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to prepare film, digital data, and surfaces to reproduce printed or graphic images. Includes instruction in platemaking, stripping, camerawork, imposition, digital imaging, computer direct-to-plate and direct-to-press, and related processes
Types of platemaker/imager degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 10.03 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects (CIP 10.0304)
- Computer Typography and Composition Equipment Operator (CIP 10.0308)
- Graphic Communications, General (CIP 10.0301)
- Graphic and Printing Equipment Operator, General Production (CIP 10.0305)
- Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design (CIP 10.0303)
- Printing Management (CIP 10.0302)
- Printing Press Operator (CIP 10.0307)
How long does it take to get a platemaker/imager degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 10.0306 in our file:
- 4 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
Is a platemaker/imager degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Graphic Communications bachelor's program family: median debt $45,257, median earnings $43,283 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.78.
About 9.2% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $4,334 and median net price is $10,113.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Platemaker/Imager and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$4,334 Median In-State Public
$38,447 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Platemaker/Imager majors are, on average, $4,334 for in-state public colleges, and $38,447 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Platemaker/Imager programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Platemaker/Imager from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Platemaker/Imager.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | 53,782 |
| 4 | University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | 49,664 |
| 5 | Miami Dade College | FL | 46,182 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Platemaker/Imager programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
| 4 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
| 5 | El Camino Community College District | CA | $1,144 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Platemaker/Imager programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 3 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 4 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 5 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Platemaker/Imager programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Platemaker/Imager programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 10.03 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects CIP 10.0304
- Computer Typography and Composition Equipment Operator CIP 10.0308
- Graphic Communications, General CIP 10.0301
- Graphic and Printing Equipment Operator, General Production CIP 10.0305
- Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design CIP 10.0303
- Printing Management CIP 10.0302
- Printing Press Operator CIP 10.0307
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 10.0306 in the survey year used in our extract (4 total across levels below).
- 4 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Graphic Communications CIP family (22 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Platemaker/Imager graduate.
- $45,257 median federal loan debt among completers
- $43,283 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.78 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 9.2% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$N/A Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Platemaker/Imager majors is $N/A.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Platemaker/Imager majors.
Occupations by Share
N/A 2023 Workforce
The number of Platemaker/Imager graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Platemaker/Imager by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Platemaker/Imager in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Platemaker/Imager.
Age distribution for Platemaker/Imager degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
8 Total Degrees Awarded
4 Male (50.00%)
4 Female (50.00%)
Gender distribution of Platemaker/Imager degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
4 White (50.00%)
2 Hispanic or Latino (25.00%)
2 Black or African American (25.00%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Platemaker/Imager degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Platemaker/Imager are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Platemaker/Imager.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Platemaker/Imager field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Platemaker/Imager majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Platemaker/Imager majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Platemaker/Imager majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to prepare film, digital data, and surfaces to reproduce printed or graphic images. Includes instruction in platemaking, stripping, camerawork, imposition, digital imaging, computer direct-to-plate and direct-to-press, and related processes
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Platemaker/Imager.
CIP Code
10.0306 - Platemaker/Imager
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $45,257 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $43,283, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.78. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Platemaker/Imager graduate.
About 9.2% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians. That is a program-level mobility signal, not a national underemployment rate.
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $4,334 in-state at public colleges and $38,447 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.