Missouri’s economy is fueled by growth in construction, transportation, manufacturing, and healthcare. From Kansas City to St. Louis and across rural communities, trade schools in Missouri offer affordable, practical training for high-demand careers.
Most programs take less than two years and offer hands-on experience with direct career support.
Best Trade Schools In Missouri
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools,
ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
State Technical College of Missouri is well established for HVAC, welding, and heavy equipment. OTC and MCC-KC are also excellent with strong career placement records.
Are Missouri community colleges considered trade schools?
Yes. Schools like St. Louis CC, MCC, and Ozarks Tech offer accredited programs that meet licensing and workforce credential requirements.
Yes. Most accredited trade schools in Missouri accept federal and state financial aid, as well as employer tuition reimbursement programs.
What trades are in demand in Missouri in 2025?
According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC):
Electricians
HVAC Technicians
Diesel Mechanics
Medical Assistants
Welders
Heavy Equipment Operators
Plumbers
Missouri trade schools offer practical, accelerated training for secure careers in high-growth industries. Whether you’re rewiring a building, welding pipelines, or assisting in a clinic, the path starts here.
Trade Schools by City in Missouri
Compare accredited trade schools in 76 Missouri cities. Each city page lists the closest local schools with tuition, median graduate earnings, and the trades hiring nearby.
Outcome figures such as graduation, completion, and job placement rates are reported by schools and by federal data sources, reflect prior student cohorts, and are not a prediction or promise of future results. Individual outcomes may vary.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
Data sources
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
Data
Provider
Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
