11 accredited programs at 7 schools in Missouri, ranked for 2027: automotive, diesel, collision repair and aviation maintenance. Ranken Technical College in Saint Louis, MO has the highest score, and bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists here earn a median $59,360.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group Updated
At a Glance
11 ranked programs at 7 schools in Missouri: 5 automotive, 2 diesel, 2 collision repair and 2 aviation maintenance.
Ranken Technical College in Saint Louis, MO scores highest, 61.4 out of 100 (diesel).
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $49,160 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Missouri.
Published prices run from $3,660 a year, in-district (Saint Louis Community College) to $18,008 a year (Ranken Technical College).
5 of 7 ranked mechanic schools in Missouri are public institutions.
Top Mechanic Schools in Missouri
These mechanic schools in Missouri run in score order. Ranks are this state’s; each card also gives the national rank in its trade.
Rank 1
Diesel Technology
Ranken Technical College
Saint Louis, MO
Score61.4
ASE Accredited Program
Private Nonprofit
Certificate of Technology
Cost
$18,008a year
Graduation rate
53%within 150% of normal time
Diesel technician pay in Missouri
$59,360median, BLS May 2025
Graduate earnings
$62,450median four years after completing, associate’s level; school-wide across its mechanic programs
Why it ranks here
Ranked #22 of 76 diesel programs nationally. Ranked on graduates earning a median $62,450, a 53% graduation rate and 29 awards in 2024-25.
Source: IPEDS 2024-25 (provisional), College Scorecard and the FAA school list.
Rank 3
Automotive Technology
Saint Louis Community College
Bridgeton, MO
Score55.4
ASE Accredited Program
Public
Associate in Applied Science
Cost
$3,660a year, in-district
Graduation rate
21%within 150% of normal time
Awards
95in 2024-25
Why it ranks here
Ranked #141 of 415 automotive programs nationally. Stands out for a price toward the low end of ranked automotive programs ($3,660 a year, in-district) and 95 awards in 2024-25.
5 ranked automotive programs at 5 schools in Missouri. The best placed is Saint Louis Community College (Bridgeton, MO), #141 of 415 nationally and in the upper half, scoring 55.4. Saint Louis Community College is the lowest priced at $3,660 a year, in-district, against $18,008 a year at Ranken Technical College. Automotive programs are taught in Bridgeton, MO, Saint Louis, MO, Sedalia, MO, Springfield, MO and Hillsboro, MO. The best completion rate, 53% within 150% of normal time, belongs to the program in Saint Louis, MO. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $49,160 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Missouri, $1,460 below the national median of $50,620.
2 ranked diesel programs at 2 schools in Missouri. The best placed is Ranken Technical College (Saint Louis, MO), #22 of 76 nationally and in the upper half, scoring 61.4. Ozarks Technical Community College is the lowest priced at $4,512 a year, in-district, against $18,008 a year at Ranken Technical College. Diesel programs are taught in Saint Louis, MO and Springfield, MO. The largest, in Springfield, MO, awarded 43 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $59,360 for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Missouri, $2,410 below the national median of $61,770.
2 ranked collision repair programs at 2 schools in Missouri. Ranken Technical College (Saint Louis, MO) is the best of them at #34 of 59 nationally (lower half), with 54.7 points. Ozarks Technical Community College is the lowest priced at $4,512 a year, in-district, against $18,008 a year at Ranken Technical College. Collision repair programs are taught in Saint Louis, MO and Springfield, MO. The largest, in Springfield, MO, awarded 29 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $60,540 for automotive body and related repairers (SOC 49-3021) in Missouri, $5,650 above the national median of $54,890.
2 ranked aviation maintenance programs at 2 schools in Missouri. The best placed is Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City (Kansas City, MO), #58 of 148 nationally and in the upper half, scoring 55.9. State Technical College of Missouri is the lowest priced at $8,160 a year, in-state, against $16,757 a year at Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City. Aviation maintenance programs are taught in Kansas City, MO and Linn, MO. The best completion rate, 84% within 150% of normal time, belongs to the program in Linn, MO. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $71,470 for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011) in Missouri, $8,400 below the national median of $79,870.
BLS counts 17,210 wage and salary jobs for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Missouri, a denser market than the national average. The medians below describe each occupation in the state, not the graduates of the mechanic schools in $Missouri above.
BLS median pay in Missouri by occupation, May 2025
Occupation
Median
Lowest 10%
Highest 10%
Jobs
U.S. median
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics SOC 49-3023
$49,160
under $34,950
over $76,870
17,210
$50,620
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists SOC 49-3031
$59,360
under $41,170
over $82,480
6,780
$61,770
Automotive Body and Related Repairers SOC 49-3021
$60,540
under $36,240
over $81,630
4,350
$54,890
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians SOC 49-3011
$71,470
under $45,620
over $97,160
1,700
$79,870
Largest metropolitan areas for automotive service technicians and mechanics: St. Louis, MO-IL at $58,190 (7,590 jobs), Kansas City, MO-KS at $53,790 (5,380 jobs) and Springfield, MO at $49,570 (1,840 jobs).
For bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists: Kansas City, MO-KS at $62,570 (2,890 jobs) and St. Louis, MO-IL at $62,280 (2,610 jobs).
For automotive body and related repairers: St. Louis, MO-IL at $63,920 (1,950 jobs) and Kansas City, MO-KS at $60,540 (1,550 jobs).
For aircraft mechanics and service technicians: St. Louis, MO-IL at $77,600 (890 jobs) and Kansas City, MO-KS at $71,080 (530 jobs).
Mechanic Salary in Missouri has the full percentiles, every metropolitan area BLS publishes and the five mechanic trades side by side.
Mechanic Licensing in Missouri
Inspector/mechanic permit comes from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and covers state inspection or emissions work, which is separate from general repair.
For 2027, Ranken Technical College in Saint Louis, MO has the highest score of the 11 ranked programs in Missouri, 61.4 out of 100. Among the mechanic schools in Missouri, the leaders by trade are Saint Louis Community College (automotive), Ranken Technical College (diesel), Ranken Technical College (collision repair) and Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City (aviation maintenance). 5 of the 7 ranked schools with a recorded control are public.
Which mechanic schools in Missouri are accredited?
The 7 ranked mechanic schools in Missouri hold ASE Education Foundation accreditation in automotive, diesel and collision repair and FAA Part 147 certification for aviation maintenance, and each met the federal entry bar for the ranking.
How much do mechanics make in Missouri?
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in Missouri earn a median of $49,160, $1,460 below the national median of $50,620; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists earn a median of $59,360, $2,410 below the national median of $61,770. These are medians for wage and salary workers in the occupation, not starting pay.
How much do mechanic schools in Missouri cost?
Among the mechanic schools in Missouri with a published price, tuition and fees run from $3,660 a year, in-district at Saint Louis Community College (Bridgeton, MO) to $18,008 a year at Ranken Technical College (Saint Louis, MO). The median across the state is about $5,250 a year.
Do you need a license to work as a mechanic in Missouri?
Inspector/mechanic permit comes from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and covers state inspection or emissions work, which is separate from general repair.
Sources for Missouri Mechanic School Rankings
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions (awards July 2024 to June 2025, provisional), tuition and fees for 2024-25, graduation rates within 150% of normal time and the institutional directory.
This site earns money from sponsored school listings served by the education ad network Esyoh, which are marked as ads wherever they appear. Schools pay to appear in those listings, not in the rankings: a listing is not scored, and no listing can change a ranking. Rankings come from published records, and program details from each school’s own published pages.
