2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri
It's not easy to decide which trade school program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri ranking. This report analyzed 19 schools in Missouri to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Trade Associate Degree Schools in Missouri
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Ranken Technical College to be the best school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in Missouri. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 403 students in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Ranken Technical College, expect to pay an average of $16,960 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Ranken Technical College accumulate an average of $12,617 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Ranken Technical College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 70% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 19 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Rockhurst University landed the # 2 spot on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 29 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Rockhurst does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $41,701. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Rockhurst accumulate an average of $9,940 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Rockhurst does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 45% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The excellent associate degree programs at State Technical College of Missouri helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in Missouri. State Technical College of Missouri is a small public school located in Linn, Missouri that handed out 615 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Missouri pay an average of $7,440 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend STC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,320. Associate Degree recipients from STC accumulate an average of $10,706 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at STC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 28% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri list. Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in Fayette, Missouri that handed out 10 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
CMU CLAS does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $27,140. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid.
Out of the 19 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri Southern State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in Joplin, Missouri, the small public school awarded 135 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from Missouri Southern accumulate an average of $22,834 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Missouri Southern does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 58% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City is a fairly large public school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 1,899 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from MCC accumulate an average of $12,682 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since MCC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.
State Fair Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri list. This small public school is located in Sedalia, Missouri, and it awarded 608 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Missouri who attend State Fair Community College full time pay an average of $5,112 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,648. Associate Degree recipients from State Fair Community College accumulate an average of $16,257 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at State Fair Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Jefferson College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. This small public school is located in Hillsboro, Missouri, and it awarded 563 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at JeffCo is $6,210. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,980. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,735 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at JeffCo. In fact, around 56% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Columbia College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri ranking. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 600 students in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,680 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Columbia College Missouri. In fact, around 77% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Saint Louis Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Saint Louis Community College is a public institution located in Bridgeton, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,981 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Missouri who attend Saint Louis Community College full time pay an average of $5,130 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,990. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,816 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Saint Louis Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 40% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Southwest Baptist University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri list. Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bolivar, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 156 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Southwest Baptist University is $26,970. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $16,582 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Southwest Baptist University. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 43% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #12, St Charles Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. SCC is located in Cottleville, Missouri and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 851 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from Missouri who attend SCC full time pay an average of $5,430 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,080. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,855 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SCC does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 51% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #13, East Central College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Union, Missouri, the small public school handed out 427 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at East Central College is $4,584. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,360. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,426 in student loans.
East Central College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 48% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Ozarks Technical Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #14 on the list. OTC is located in Springfield, Missouri and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,490 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at OTC is $5,216. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,368. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,228 in student loans.
OTC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 53% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Mineral Area College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri list. MAC is located in Park Hills, Missouri and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 471 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at MAC is $5,650. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,210. Associate Degree recipients from MAC accumulate an average of $10,715 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at MAC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 61% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
North Central Missouri College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri list. Located in Trenton, Missouri, the small public school handed out 312 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $6,240 in tuition and fees if they attend NCMC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,350. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,197 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at NCMC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 70% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Bryan University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri list. Bryan University is a very small private for-profit school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 40 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Bryan University is $15,782. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $20,281 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Bryan University is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Crowder College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Neosho, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 743 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Crowder College is $5,616. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,427 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Crowder College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 38% took at least some of their classes online.
Three Rivers College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Missouri list. Located in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, the small public school handed out 424 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Three Rivers College does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $6,600. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $13,103 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Three Rivers College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 81% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Best Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
View Best Trade Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 19 schools only.
References
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.