According to the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Show-Me State has low costs of living and an economic situation that ranks fourth in the nation for employment diversity. Top industries in the state such as advanced manufacturing, defense and health sciences all have a need for the type of skilled workers that training programs at technical schools in Missouri can provide.
Getting a trade education in a specific region or city can bring even more advantages to your job search. Aviation technology students in St. Louis have a prime target for employment after graduation — aircraft maker Boeing recently opened a facility in the city and was recognized by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry as one of the fastest-growing companies in the region. Tech-focused workers might want to think about Kansas City, where tech jobs grew by more than 150 percent in 2017.
Why is Missouri Good for Vocational/Technical Schools?
Training at career technical education (CTE) schools in Missouri can provide career-ready skills as well as a few advantages over a university bachelor's degree program. One big one is that university catalogs tend to be fairly light on occupational programs, so you're more likely to have access to the specific training you're looking for.
Missouri CTE certification is also a significantly more cost-effective option for students hoping to use college as a springboard to a career. University students in Missouri paid an average of nearly $8,400 in tuition and fees in 2018, while students at public trade schools and community colleges were charged an average of less than $3,300 for a full year of training.
If you're thinking about attending campus-based or online trade schools in Missouri, it can help to know which schools are the best in the state how you can find help paying for your training. Read on for our list of the top trade schools in the state and tips on how to apply for financial aid in Missouri.
Highest-Paying and Fastest-Growing Careers in Missouri
The Best Trade Schools in Missouri
We pulled data from the U.S. Department of Education and other reliable sources and scored more than 700 institutions nationwide on important metrics like affordability, flexibility and graduate success on the job market. Check out our list of the best trade and vocational schools in Missouri and see if your local institution made the list:
State Technical College of Missouri leads the state in several important categories of our analysis. Perhaps most impressively, the central Missouri school beat all but one other trade school in the U.S. in terms of student success after graduation, reporting that 95 percent of workers remained employed six years after graduating. It also earned a spot in the national top 25 for the average salary reported by graduates after ten years in the workforce.
What vocational programs State Tech offers: More than 30 career-focused programs are available at State Tech. Students hoping to work in the tech industry can pursue a degree or certificate in networking systems technology. Those interested in cutting-edge health science work earn a one-semester certificate in biomedical engineering technology.
Students often have to choose between a large, busy campus and a close-knit learning environment, but Ozarks Technical Community College might offer the best of both worlds. It's one of the largest trade schools in Missouri, reporting a student body of more than 12,000 learners in 2018, but its ratio of students to faculty members was a comfortable 15:1 the same year.
What vocational programs OTC offers: If you're looking for online trade schools in Missouri, OTC might have what you're looking for. Students here can earn entirely online associate degrees in business and marketing, health information technology, fire service administration and more. Online/on-campus hybrid programs include degrees in a few valuable health care fields, like an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in dental assisting.
Average net price is a comprehensive measure of college cost that adds up the overall expected expense for tuition, fees, books, housing, transportation, food and other necessities and subtracts the institution's average amount of grant and scholarship aid per student. The average net price at Jefferson College was under $5,600 in 2018, landing it the number one spot in the state in the affordability category.
What vocational programs Jefferson offers: Many of the degree programs at Jefferson also offer a certificate option for students whose professions don't require a full-fledged associate degree. An emergency medical technology program can train you for a fast-paced health care career, and students looking to join one of the fastest-growing workforces in the country can earn a degree in occupational therapy assisting.
This medium-small institution smack in the center of northern Missouri reports that graduates have a tendency to stay employed for years after finishing their training programs. More than 88 percent of former North Central Missouri College students were still employed six years after graduation, according to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What vocational programs NCMC offers: NCMC is one of the more robust online trade schools in Missouri, boasting a 37 percent distance education enrollment rate and an online catalog that features a wide range of programs. Students can earn online A.A.S. degrees in criminal justice and early childhood development, as well as certificates in business management and financial management.
Student success is a high-value metric in our analysis, and this private, for-profit institution posted some of the best student success scores among all career and technical schools in Missouri. Around 91 percent of associate degree students at Midwest Institute return to complete the second year of their training plans, and the graduation rate of 88 percent ranked in the top ten nationwide.
What vocational programs Midwest offers: The Fenton campus of Midwest Institute offers a total of three programs. The veterinary technician program is a campus exclusive and features extensive hands-on training, and the dental assistant program provides practical experience through a virtual dental office environment. Roughly 50 percent of the credits for the medical assistant program can be taken online.
Pinnacle Career Institute is a locally based private institution that operates on a for-profit basis. The main Kansas City campus offers a very close-knit learning environment -- the total size student body was around 220 people in 2018 — and the student-faculty ratio of 10:1 suggests that students should have plenty of opportunity to speak one on one with professors and get extra help when they need it.
What vocational programs PCI offers: Health care careers are the main focus at PCI. The catalog includes certificate programs for dental assistants and medical assistants that take 40 weeks to complete, as well as a 25-week massage therapy certificate. There's also training for one of the nation's hottest jobs in the catalog here: a 40-week wind turbine technician program.
St. Louis College of Health Careers took the statewide crown in terms of distance education enrollment, reporting that nearly 98 percent of students enrolled during 2018 completed at least some of their training in the virtual classroom. It also stood among the state's best in terms of gainful employment after graduation, showing that more than 86 percent of students remained working for at least six years after finishing their programs.
What vocational programs SLCHC offers: A range of diplomas and associate degrees for aspiring health care professionals are available here, including an occupational therapy assisting degree and diplomas in pharmacy technology and licensed practical nursing. Degree-bound students can also choose to study health care administration, physical therapy assisting or respiratory therapy, among other options.
This private, nonprofit institution near the Big Piney River concentrates its efforts on training nurses, and that tight focus may be paying off. It had one of the best student retention rates in the state, and its graduation rate of close to 80 percent was good enough to land it among the top 30 trade schools nationwide on that metric.
What vocational programs TCTC offers: Nursing students here can choose from a catalog of two programs. The licensed practical nursing (LPN) program has no prerequisites, meaning that you don't need nursing experience to apply. Students in the accelerated LPN to RN program must already have LPN training, but the accelerated curriculum means that they only have to attend classes two or three days a week.
The Cape Girardeau campus of Metro Business College offers the most intimate learning environment of all the schools on our list. Fewer than 50 students attended courses at this private, for-profit school in 2018. All courses here are held on campus from Monday through Thursday, with Friday morning help sessions available for those who need it.
What vocational programs MBC offers: Business isn't the only course of study at this southeastern Missouri school. Students can earn an A.A.S. in business administration and an administrative assistant certificate, but a range of health care programs are also in the catalog. Associate degrees are available in medical billing and coding and medical office administration, as well as certificates in medical assisting and massage therapy.
How to Apply Financial Aid in Missouri Trade Schools
Trade school programs may be less costly than university degrees, but paying for college can still be a burden on your personal finances. Student aid is available for most career training programs at eligible schools, and it can make a big difference in a student's quality of life.
If you're planning to seek financial aid for your degree or certificate, you'll need to know about the Free Application for Student Financial Aid. Better known around campus as the FAFSA, this document serves as an all-purpose application to programs like federal work-study and the Pell Grant. It's also a necessary part of the application process for many Missouri scholarships at the state and institutional levels.
To learn more about the FAFSA and pick up some other helpful tips on student aid, check out the financial aid guide on this site. Here's a quick list of Missouri scholarships that you may be able to use to help offset the cost of college:
- Access Missouri - This need-based aid program awards eligible trade school students between $300 and $1,300 toward their studies at a public 2-year school or between $1,500 and $2,850 at the State Technical College of Missouri.
- Bright Flight Program - Also known as the Missouri Higher Education Academic Scholarship Program, this merit-based award presents up to $3,000 in aid to students with ACT or SAT scores in the 95th percentile statewide.
- Marguerite Ross Barnett Memorial Scholarship - Part-time students who remain employed while enrolled in school can qualify for an award worth up to nine credit hours of tuition through this need-based program.
Initiatives for Vocational School Students in Missouri
A skilled and well-trained workforce brings a lot of benefits to a state's economy, so it should come as no surprise that Missouri provides access to several initiatives for aspiring trade school students. Here's some detail about a few such programs:
Funding for vocational students in Missouri
- The Missouri Education and Training Voucher Program seeks to provide up to $5,000 per year in school-related expenses to eligible students who were once or are currently in foster care.
- The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant is a new initiative designed to help adult students pursue an approved training program in designated high-need employment areas. Recipients must work in Missouri for at least three years after graduation or become responsible for repaying the grant amount.
Missouri policies that benefit vocational students
- 15 to Finish is an initiative that aims to help full-time students stay on track to finish their associate degrees in two years or less. It focuses on giving students the resources they need to complete 15 credit hours of coursework and training each semester.
- The MoExcels Workforce Initiative is a $55 million program that works to facilitate the creation and expansion of employer-based programs designed to ensure that workers get the training they need.
Resources for Vocational Students and Vocational Job Seekers in Missouri
- For information about the public and private nonprofit trade schools and community colleges in Missouri, check out the Web portal of the Missouri Department of Higher Education.
- The Missouri Department of Workforce Development maintains an employment resources site called MoJobs where trade school graduates can search job postings, look for career skills workshops and more.
- It's important to make sure your trade school is accredited if you want to be sure that your education will meet the general workforce standard for your profession. Public institutions in Missouri are typically accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, while private career colleges may be accredited by non-regional groups like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
You can learn some hard facts about career education in Missouri on the state's dedicated page at Advance CTE. If you want to know more about how vocational training is changing the lives of students nationwide, browse the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) site.
