Best Community Colleges in Missouri 2026
The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Missouri offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.
Key Takeaways
- The best community colleges in Missouri offer a wide range of associate degrees and certificates across various fields, including specialized programs like veterinary technology and geographic information systems, catering to diverse student interests.
- The institutions in our ranking provide low tuition rates, making higher education more accessible and reducing student debt.
- Many of the best community colleges in Missouri have established articulation agreements with four-year universities, facilitating seamless transfer processes for students aiming to pursue bachelor’s degrees.
10 Best Community Colleges in Missouri in 2026
Choosing a community college in Missouri involves more than tuition and proximity: prospective students prioritize clear transfer pathways, program variety in high-demand fields, robust student support, and employer connections that lead to jobs or seamless transfer to four-year institutions. This 2026 guide highlights schools that stand out for those criteria and points you to programs and services that matter when weighing affordability, credential completion, and career outcomes. Use the list to compare practical factors—degree and certificate options, transfer articulation, online and workforce training availability, and student support resources—so you can match a college to your academic and career goals.
We’ve identified 12 community colleges in Missouri. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in Missouri.
Best Community Colleges in Missouri
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
39%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for degree at Moberly Area Community College
Cost of Degree: $6,540Expenses: $9,876Starting Salary: $32,100Cost Recoup Time: 10 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Moberly Area Community College known for?
Moberly Area Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
19%
Student body
8K
Career Outlook for degree at St. Charles Community College
Cost of Degree: $5,430Starting Salary: $36,300What is St. Charles Community College known for?
St. Charles Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
30%
Student body
15K
Career Outlook for degree at Ozarks Technical Community College
Cost of Degree: $5,624Starting Salary: $32,700What is Ozarks Technical Community College known for?
Ozarks Technical Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
43%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for degree at Mineral Area College
Cost of Degree: $6,530Expenses: $14,746Starting Salary: $29,900Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Mineral Area College known for?
Mineral Area College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #13 Best Online Associate Degrees in Missouri 2024 #25 Best Online Associate in Health Information Technology & Informatics
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
35%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for degree at State Fair Community College
Cost of Degree: $5,664Expenses: $12,987Starting Salary: $33,500Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is State Fair Community College known for?
State Fair Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
34%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for degree at Three Rivers College
Cost of Degree: $5,970Expenses: $15,996Starting Salary: $29,700Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Three Rivers College known for?
Three Rivers College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
40%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for degree at Crowder College
Cost of Degree: $5,784Expenses: $14,876Starting Salary: $31,000Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Crowder College known for?
Crowder College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
32%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for degree at Jefferson College
Cost of Degree: $6,300Expenses: $10,185Starting Salary: $34,700Cost Recoup Time: 10 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Jefferson College known for?
Jefferson College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
39%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for degree at East Central College
Cost of Degree: $5,064Starting Salary: $32,200What is East Central College known for?
East Central College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
44%
Student body
2K
Career Outlook for degree at North Central Missouri College
Cost of Degree: $7,050Expenses: $13,082Starting Salary: $32,600Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is North Central Missouri College known for?
North Central Missouri College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
33%
Student body
2K
Career Outlook for degree at Missouri State University–West Plains
Cost of Degree: $5,544Expenses: $12,021Starting Salary: $31,800Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryTuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
22%
Student body
22K
Career Outlook for degree at St. Louis Community College–Forest Park
Cost of Degree: $5,130Starting Salary: $31,800What is St. Louis Community College–Forest Park known for?
St. Louis Community College–Forest Park’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
- Three Rivers College
- North Central Missouri College
- St. Charles Community College
- East Central College
- State Fair Community College
- Missouri State University–West Plains
- Ozarks Technical Community College
- Moberly Area Community College
- St. Louis Community College–Forest Park
- Crowder College
- Mineral Area College
- Jefferson College
