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Best Trade Programs in Missouri (2026)

Top 100 of 245 programs in Missouri · Updated 2026

The best trade school programs in Missouri, ranked by overall value. We scored 245 programs across Missouri trade schools on earnings, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $48,231/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in MO

245

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$48,231/yr

Avg TSW Score

71/100

#1 Program

Truck Driving & CDL

State Technical College of Missouri

Top Trade Programs in Missouri

Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.

#	Program	TSW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Truck Driving & CDL State Technical College of Missouri · Linn, MO	84 82–84	$50,941/yr	75.2x
2	Truck Driving & CDL Crowder College · Neosho, MO	79 78–79	$40,759/yr	65.0x
3	Criminal Justice Jefferson College · Hillsboro, MO	89 85–90	$61,641/yr	136.0x
4	Practical Nursing North Central Missouri College · Trenton, MO	84 82–85	$59,889/yr	120.0x
5	Practical Nursing Mineral Area College · Park Hills, MO	83 81–83	$55,389/yr	111.7x
6	Sales & Marketing University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO	78 75–80	$64,382/yr	44.6x
7	Nursing Jefferson College · Hillsboro, MO	83 78–83	$67,439/yr	78.6x
8	Criminal Justice Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	86 82–88	$48,137/yr	146.1x
9	Nursing Moberly Area Community College · Moberly, MO	84 79–85	$67,023/yr	77.9x
10	Nursing Saint Louis Community College · Bridgeton, MO	85 80–86	$68,262/yr	96.8x
11	Nursing Three Rivers College · Poplar Bluff, MO	82 77–82	$65,883/yr	66.2x
12	Nursing North Central Missouri College · Trenton, MO	81 77–82	$66,504/yr	67.3x
13	Nursing St Charles Community College · Cottleville, MO	87 81–87	$68,488/yr	117.4x
14	Nursing Crowder College · Neosho, MO	78 73–78	$62,875/yr	52.9x
15	Nursing East Central College · Union, MO	83 78–84	$62,554/yr	87.1x
16	Electrical Installation Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	77 75–78	$62,177/yr	73.3x
17	Nursing Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	81 77–82	$61,192/yr	74.2x
18	Nursing Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	85 79–86	$63,534/yr	105.9x
19	Criminal Justice Mineral Area College · Park Hills, MO	82 78–84	$45,217/yr	96.4x
20	Nursing Mineral Area College · Park Hills, MO	80 74–80	$60,071/yr	64.6x
21	Nursing State Fair Community College · Sedalia, MO	82 77–82	$61,389/yr	77.0x
22	Electrical Installation State Technical College of Missouri · Linn, MO	72 66–73	$54,080/yr	50.7x
23	Practical Nursing Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	82 80–83	$46,147/yr	159.4x
24	Criminal Justice Moberly Area Community College · Moberly, MO	81 77–83	$41,286/yr	94.6x
25	Practical Nursing Moberly Area Community College · Moberly, MO	81 78–81	$44,405/yr	129.3x
26	Nursing Missouri State University-West Plains · West Plains, MO	77 72–77	$56,681/yr	53.3x
27	Criminal Justice Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies · Springfield, MO	73 71–75	$41,277/yr	50.3x
28	Computer Science Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO	81 72–83	$63,175/yr	69.0x
29	Nursing Lincoln University · Jefferson City, MO	74 68–75	$62,183/yr	40.1x
30	Business Administration Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	77 71–79	$38,554/yr	62.3x
31	Practical Nursing Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	78 74–78	$39,101/yr	118.1x
32	Health Administration Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	81 75–84	$40,532/yr	110.7x
33	Truck Driving & CDL Midwest Technical Institute-Missouri · Springfield, MO	67 66–68	$36,234/yr	—
34	Practical Nursing Lex La-Ray Technical Center · Lexington, MO	67 65–68	$48,192/yr	—
35	Practical Nursing Franklin Technology Center Adult Education · Joplin, MO	67 65–68	$47,995/yr	—
36	Practical Nursing Cass Career Center · Harrisonville, MO	68 65–68	$50,718/yr	—
37	Nursing Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences · Cape Girardeau, MO	72 68–73	$67,421/yr	27.2x
38	Practical Nursing Carthage R9 School District-Carthage Technical Center · Carthage, MO	67 65–68	$47,524/yr	—
39	Practical Nursing Concorde Career College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	67 65–68	$47,421/yr	—
40	Vehicle Repair Technology Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	71 69–71	$38,457/yr	99.4x
41	Welding & Metalworking Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	60 59–61	$40,696/yr	56.7x
42	Criminal Justice Missouri Southern State University · Joplin, MO	68 64–70	$34,058/yr	47.7x
43	Business Administration Park University · Parkville, MO	72 67–74	$56,359/yr	16.2x
44	Culinary Arts Saint Louis Community College · Bridgeton, MO	67 63–67	$26,318/yr	47.1x
45	Business Saint Louis Community College · Bridgeton, MO	71 67–73	$34,419/yr	46.0x
46	Practical Nursing Four Rivers Career Center · Washington, MO	67 66–67	$50,931/yr	23.0x
47	Business Administration Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	70 66–72	$34,644/yr	40.4x
48	Welding & Metalworking State Technical College of Missouri · Linn, MO	58 57–59	$47,325/yr	35.7x
49	Fire Protection Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	77 73–79	$48,321/yr	153.6x
50	Medical Assisting Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	71 65–72	$39,842/yr	71.1x
51	Heavy Equipment Technology Ranken Technical College · Saint Louis, MO	63 63–63	$70,010/yr	38.8x
52	Practical Nursing Applied Technology Services · Sunset Hills, MO	65 63–66	$43,456/yr	—
53	Vehicle Repair Technology Crowder College · Neosho, MO	63 62–63	$35,469/yr	56.4x
54	Heavy Equipment Technology State Technical College of Missouri · Linn, MO	61 59–61	$55,282/yr	42.4x
55	Industrial Production Technology Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	73 71–74	$74,822/yr	102.1x
56	Welding & Metalworking Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	66 65–66	$36,908/yr	100.7x
57	Health Administration State Fair Community College · Sedalia, MO	69 64–71	$36,652/yr	42.9x
58	Medical Assisting Concorde Career College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	65 61–66	$49,878/yr	—
59	Nursing Cox College · Springfield, MO	68 62–68	$58,667/yr	19.2x
60	Practical Nursing Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center · Cape Girardeau, MO	63 61–64	$38,814/yr	—
61	Culinary Arts Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	63 61–64	$25,879/yr	36.0x
62	Medical Assisting Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	65 63–66	$38,770/yr	48.2x
63	Medical Assisting Jefferson College · Hillsboro, MO	65 61–65	$37,137/yr	47.9x
64	Welding & Metalworking Ranken Technical College · Saint Louis, MO	56 55–57	$45,004/yr	30.5x
65	Dental Assisting Saint Louis Community College · Bridgeton, MO	71 68–71	$60,906/yr	78.1x
66	Allied Health Professions Saint Louis Community College · Bridgeton, MO	71 67–72	$55,754/yr	84.7x
67	Practical Nursing St Louis College of Health Careers-St Louis · Saint Louis, MO	64 61–64	$39,609/yr	—
68	Health Administration State Fair Community College · Sedalia, MO	73 67–75	$31,497/yr	75.7x
69	Practical Nursing Clinton Technical School · Clinton, MO	64 61–64	$39,989/yr	—
70	Practical Nursing St Louis College of Health Careers-Fenton · Fenton, MO	64 61–64	$39,609/yr	—
71	Nursing Columbia College · Columbia, MO	67 62–68	$65,768/yr	13.6x
72	Computer Networking Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	70 62–72	$44,381/yr	55.1x
73	Vehicle Repair Technology Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	60 57–61	$32,633/yr	51.9x
74	Welding & Metalworking Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	62 60–63	$32,817/yr	96.3x
75	Health Administration Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	67 62–69	$34,260/yr	39.9x
76	Allied Health Professions Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	67 64–67	$51,282/yr	57.2x
77	Vehicle Repair Technology State Technical College of Missouri · Linn, MO	59 59–60	$42,544/yr	29.6x
78	Allied Health Professions Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	69 66–69	$51,901/yr	73.0x
79	Allied Health Professions Saint Louis Community College · Bridgeton, MO	74 71–75	$51,903/yr	135.6x
80	Allied Health Professions State Fair Community College · Sedalia, MO	67 65–68	$52,138/yr	65.0x
81	Medical Assisting Three Rivers College · Poplar Bluff, MO	69 66–69	$35,722/yr	54.8x
82	Practical Nursing Saline County Career Center · Marshall, MO	63 60–63	$38,243/yr	—
83	Practical Nursing Texas County Technical College · Houston, MO	63 62–64	$43,248/yr	21.3x
84	Criminal Justice Columbia College · Columbia, MO	64 60–66	$47,941/yr	7.6x
85	Nursing Hannibal-LaGrange University · Hannibal, MO	66 61–67	$63,863/yr	11.7x
86	Practical Nursing Hannibal-LaGrange University · Hannibal, MO	61 59–62	$43,254/yr	15.1x
87	Allied Health Professions Jefferson College · Hillsboro, MO	63 61–64	$46,769/yr	53.5x
88	Business Administration State Fair Community College · Sedalia, MO	66 58–69	$26,944/yr	47.2x
89	Practical Nursing Waynesville Career Center · Waynesville, MO	62 59–62	$36,530/yr	—
90	Practical Nursing Kirksville Area Technical Center · Kirksville, MO	61 59–62	$35,582/yr	—
91	Business Columbia College · Columbia, MO	65 59–67	$41,791/yr	9.4x
92	Allied Health Professions Ozarks Technical Community College · Springfield, MO	72 67–73	$45,344/yr	133.7x
93	Industrial Production Technology Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	72 69–73	$53,967/yr	147.7x
94	HVAC Technology Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO	70 67–70	$44,715/yr	165.6x
95	Electrical Repair Technology Ranken Technical College · Saint Louis, MO	58 53–59	$45,539/yr	44.9x
96	Medical Assisting Saint Louis Community College · Bridgeton, MO	62 58–62	$32,094/yr	49.3x
97	Nursing Southwest Baptist University · Bolivar, MO	65 59–66	$59,620/yr	10.0x
98	Health Administration St Louis College of Health Careers-St Louis · Saint Louis, MO	64 58–67	$35,503/yr	—
99	Health Administration St Louis College of Health Careers-Fenton · Fenton, MO	64 58–67	$35,503/yr	—
100	Industrial Production Technology University of Central Missouri · Warrensburg, MO	61 59–62	$49,157/yr	49.5x

About This Ranking

What we ranked

Best Trades in Missouri ranks 100 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.

Data sources

Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.

How to read the table

Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.

Caveats & limitations

Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at Missouri schools, drawn from 245 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and tuition ROI.

Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best trade program in Missouri?

By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Truck Driving & CDL at State Technical College of Missouri ranks #1 in Missouri with a score of 84/100 and graduate earnings of $50,941/yr.

How many trade programs are in Missouri?

Our database includes 245 trade programs across Missouri schools with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2025.