Missouri Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Trade schools in Missouri: 65 trade and vocational campuses (51 trade schools, 14 community colleges) median net price $15,417 (+8.5% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $35,071 (+0.2% vs U.S.) median completion rate 73.0% employment-outcome proxy 84.7% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 65 campuses (51 trade schools, 14 community colleges)
- Total enrollment: 61,829 students
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $35,071 (+0.2% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 84.7% (+3.7 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $15,417 (+8.5% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $9,500 (-2.1% vs U.S. $9,699); regional median $10,498. Debt rank: #21 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #2 in Plains of 7
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 73.0%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 100.0%
- Earnings rank: #25 nationally (higher median 10-yr earnings = better rank)
- Employment-outcome rank: #11 nationally (higher working share = better rank)
- Student debt rank: #21 nationally of 52; #2 in Plains of 7 (lower debt = better rank)
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Full profile payload including top-college lists and peer comparisons.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Missouri include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 65 campuses in this profile (51 trade schools, 14 community colleges), with about 61,829 students enrolled, and median net price near $15,417. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Plains medians.
Missouri vs regional & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri (MO) | — | $15,417 | $9,500 | 73.0% | 61,829 |
| Plains (region median) | — | $13,566 | $10,498 | 60.4% | 279,250 |
| United States | — | $14,215 | $9,699 | 63.3% | 5,490,315 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Missouri vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri (MO) | $35,071 | 84.7% | 100.0% | 13.3% | — | 52.2% | 0.29 |
| United States | $34,984 | 80.9% | 64.9% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.28 |
Missouri vs peer states (Plains region)
Peer states are other campuses in the same Scorecard region, chosen by similar total enrollment.
| State | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri (MO) | N/A | $15,417 | $9,500 | 73.0% | 61,829 | $35,071 | 84.7% |
| Kansas (KS) | N/A | $12,039 | $9,339 | 55.2% | 51,362 | $40,244 | 87.3% |
| Iowa (IA) | N/A | $13,566 | $10,250 | 62.8% | 45,016 | $39,060 | 87.5% |
| Minnesota (MN) | N/A | $13,548 | $12,000 | 48.7% | 80,521 | $45,158 | 88.0% |
| Nebraska (NE) | N/A | $14,639 | $10,498 | 60.4% | 24,632 | $38,729 | 85.9% |
| United States | N/A | $14,215 | $9,699 | 63.3% | 5,490,315 | $34,984 | 80.9% |
Outcomes by sector in Missouri
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private for-profit | 27 | $29,839 | 83.9% | N/A | 12.2% | — | 44.8% |
| Public | 19 | $36,922 | 85.1% | 100.0% | 15.3% | — | 57.3% |
Top 10 trade schools in Missouri by completion rate (150% time, certificate programs)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate among trade schools and community colleges in this profile (enrollment ≥ 50). Source: College Scorecard.
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Rank 1, Completion Rate, 92.9%, Skin Institute
Skin Institute
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Rank 2, Completion Rate, 92.1%, The Salon Professional Academy-St Charles
The Salon Professional Academy-St Charles
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Rank 3, Completion Rate, 88.9%, Grand River Technical School
Grand River Technical School
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Rank 4, Completion Rate, 88.5%, Renaissance Beauty Academy
Renaissance Beauty Academy
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Rank 5, Completion Rate, 84.2%, State Technical College of Missouri
State Technical College of Missouri
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Rank 6, Completion Rate, 82.9%, Southern Missouri Technical Institute
Southern Missouri Technical Institute
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Rank 7, Completion Rate, 80.5%, Midwest Technical Institute-Missouri
Midwest Technical Institute-Missouri
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Rank 8, Completion Rate, 80.0%, Paul Mitchell the School-Springfield
Paul Mitchell the School-Springfield
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Rank 9, Completion Rate, 79.5%, Missouri College of Cosmetology and Esthetics
Missouri College of Cosmetology and Esthetics
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Rank 10, Completion Rate, 77.8%, House of Heavilin Beauty College-Blue Springs
House of Heavilin Beauty College-Blue Springs
Top 10 trade schools in Missouri by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 93.6%, Applied Tech
Applied Tech
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 93.5%, State Technical College of Missouri
State Technical College of Missouri
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 92.9%, Grand River Technical School
Grand River Technical School
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 90.3%, North Central Missouri College
North Central Missouri College
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 89.4%, Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
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Rank 6, Employment Outcome, 89.3%, St Louis College of Health Careers-St Louis
St Louis College of Health Careers-St Louis
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Rank 7, Employment Outcome, 88.8%, St Charles Community College
St Charles Community College
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Rank 8, Employment Outcome, 87.7%, Missouri State University-West Plains
Missouri State University-West Plains
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Rank 9, Employment Outcome, 86.7%, Moberly Area Community College
Moberly Area Community College
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Rank 10, Employment Outcome, 86.6%, Texas County Technical College
Texas County Technical College
Top 10 trade schools in Missouri by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $57,854, Applied Tech
Applied Tech
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $52,341, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $48,921, State Technical College of Missouri
State Technical College of Missouri
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $43,113, Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $42,924, Texas County Technical College
Texas County Technical College
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Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $40,650, City Vision University
City Vision University
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Rank 7, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,492, American Trade School
American Trade School
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Rank 8, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,227, Grand River Technical School
Grand River Technical School
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Rank 9, Mid-Career Earnings, $37,087, St Charles Community College
St Charles Community College
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Rank 10, Mid-Career Earnings, $36,289, North Central Missouri College
North Central Missouri College
Top 10 trade schools in Missouri by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $56,322, Applied Tech
Applied Tech
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $52,921, State Technical College of Missouri
State Technical College of Missouri
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $43,633, Texas County Technical College
Texas County Technical College
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $40,486, Grand River Technical School
Grand River Technical School
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $40,121, Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
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Rank 6, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,670, American Trade School
American Trade School
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Rank 7, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,248, St Charles Community College
St Charles Community College
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Rank 8, 8-Yr Earnings, $37,976, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
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Rank 9, 8-Yr Earnings, $37,606, North Central Missouri College
North Central Missouri College
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Rank 10, 8-Yr Earnings, $37,559, Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
Top 10 trade schools in Missouri by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $56,508, Applied Tech
Applied Tech
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $55,901, State Technical College of Missouri
State Technical College of Missouri
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $47,161, American Trade School
American Trade School
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $44,369, Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $42,422, St Charles Community College
St Charles Community College
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Rank 6, 10-Yr Earnings, $40,843, Texas County Technical College
Texas County Technical College
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Rank 7, 10-Yr Earnings, $40,837, North Central Missouri College
North Central Missouri College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr Earnings, $40,796, Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
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Rank 9, 10-Yr Earnings, $40,782, Jefferson College
Jefferson College
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Rank 10, 10-Yr Earnings, $40,743, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
Top 10 trade schools in Missouri by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year ROI among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $264,542, Applied Tech
Applied Tech
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $221,201, State Technical College of Missouri
State Technical College of Missouri
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $191,446, Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $191,298, American Trade School
American Trade School
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $189,902, Grand River Technical School
Grand River Technical School
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Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $188,419, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
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Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $179,816, St Charles Community College
St Charles Community College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr ROI, $164,356, Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
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Rank 9, 10-Yr ROI, $163,356, Jefferson College
Jefferson College
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Rank 10, 10-Yr ROI, $159,317, North Central Missouri College
North Central Missouri College
Top 10 most affordable trade schools in Missouri (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $6,166, Central College of Cosmetology
Central College of Cosmetology
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Rank 2, Net Price, $6,353, City Vision University
City Vision University
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Rank 3, Net Price, $5,837, St Charles Community College
St Charles Community College
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Rank 4, Net Price, $6,936, Ozarks Technical Community College
Ozarks Technical Community College
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Rank 5, Net Price, $7,985, State Fair Community College
State Fair Community College
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Rank 6, Net Price, $6,810, Moberly Area Community College
Moberly Area Community College
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Rank 7, Net Price, $9,023, Crowder College
Crowder College
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Rank 8, Net Price, $7,378, Jefferson College
Jefferson College
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Rank 9, Net Price, $8,398, Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
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Rank 10, Net Price, $8,440, Saint Louis Community College
Saint Louis Community College
Student debt: Missouri vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Missouri is $9,500 (-2.0% vs U.S. median $9,699). Regional median: $10,498. Rank: #21 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #2 in Plains of 7.
Median earnings (10 years out): Missouri vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Missouri center around $35,071 (+0.2% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Missouri vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 84.7% at the median Missouri campus (+3.7 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Median graduate debt is $9,500 (-2.0% below the U.S. median of $9,699, and -9.5% vs the Plains regional median of $10,498). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #21 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #2 in Plains of 7 (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Missouri are $35,071, about +0.2% vs the U.S. campus median ($34,984).
The median campus reports 84.7% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 80.9% (+3.7 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 100.0% vs a U.S. median of 64.9%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 13.3% (U.S. 11.1%); 3-yr repayment progress 52.2% (U.S. 50.5%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Missouri ranks earnings #25 and employment proxy #11 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Applied Tech (93.6%), State Technical College of Missouri (93.5%), Grand River Technical School (92.9%), North Central Missouri College (90.3%), Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center (89.4%), St Louis College of Health Careers-St Louis (89.3%), St Charles Community College (88.8%), Missouri State University-West Plains (87.7%), Moberly Area Community College (86.7%), Texas County Technical College (86.6%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Missouri, sector medians diverge: Private for-profit median 10-yr earnings $29,839 (27 campuses); Public median 10-yr earnings $36,922 (19 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Missouri is 73.0% (national institution average about 63.3%).
FAQ
How much do trade schools cost in Missouri?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Missouri, median net price is $15,417 vs $14,215 nationally (+8.5% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Missouri trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Missouri is $9,500 vs a U.S. median of $9,699 (Missouri ranks #21 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do trade school graduates earn in Missouri?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Missouri trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $35,071 vs $34,984 nationally. Six-year medians are $30,926.
What share of Missouri trade school students are working after completion?
The federal employment-outcome proxy on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 84.7% in Missouri vs 80.9% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Missouri?
This profile covers 51 trade schools and 14 community colleges (65 total) in Missouri with roughly 61,829 total reported enrollment.
How many public vs. private trade schools are in Missouri?
Among trade schools and community colleges with outcomes in the College Scorecard extract: 19 public, 0 private nonprofit, and 27 private for-profit institutions.
What are the top trade schools in Missouri?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: Skin Institute; highest 10-year earnings: Applied Tech; lowest net price among large campuses: Central College of Cosmetology. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Missouri?
Among 148 campuses in Missouri, 2 historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Harris-Stowe State University and Lincoln University; 2 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Conception Seminary College and Concorde Career College-Broadway; 34 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Roman Catholic (7), Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (5), Other Protestant (3).
How does Missouri compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Missouri is in the Plains region. Regional median net price is $13,566 and median 10-year earnings are $38,648 vs $15,417 net price and $35,071 earnings in Missouri.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Missouri college profile
- Trade school costs by state
- Trade schools and public community colleges (College Scorecard)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON