Missouri School Rankings, 2026

Best Aviation Maintenance Schools in Missouri (2026)

We scored the 3 FAA-approved (Part 147) aircraft mechanic schools in Missouri on graduation rate, cost, program depth, access, and size, and ranked all of them. State Technical College of Missouri ranks first with 51.5 out of 100.

IllinoisKansasArkansasOklahoma St. LouisKansas City
  • School in Missouri
  • School in a neighboring state
  • Metro area

Schools shown on the Missouri map

  • Aviation Institute of Maintenance Kansas City (Kansas City)
  • State Technical College of Missouri (Linn)
  • Ozarks Technical Community College (Springfield)
  • Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield, Illinois)
  • Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Murphysboro, Illinois)
  • Southwestern Illinois College (Granite City, Illinois)
  • Arkansas Northeastern College (Blytheville, Arkansas)
  • Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest (Newbern, Tennessee)

Key Figures for Aviation Maintenance Schools in Missouri

Aviation Maintenance Schools in Missouri

3

FAA AV-Info, Sep 2026

Ranked in This State

3

Methodology 2.1

Top Score in the State

51.5

State Technical College of Missouri

Median Aircraft Mechanic Pay

$71,470

BLS OEWS, May 2025

Aircraft Mechanics Employed

1,700

BLS OEWS, May 2025

There are three aviation maintenance schools in Missouri, and job growth for the occupation is projected at 3.9% through 2034, just below the national rate of 4%.

Aviation Institute of Maintenance Kansas City accepts GI Bill benefits for its certificate program, taught in day, evening, and weekend classes. State Technical College of Missouri in Linn, a public school, and Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield both run four-semester Associate of Applied Science tracks, rounding out the state's options.

Aircraft mechanics in Missouri earn a median of $71,470 a year, below the $79,870 national median, and the state ranks 38th among 50 states for that pay. Growth is projected at 3.9% through 2034, adding 60 positions, with about 120 openings expected each year.

Top Picks

Top Picks in Missouri

Among the aviation maintenance schools in Missouri, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties and one-school lists produce none.

Missouri Ranking

Top-Ranked Aircraft Mechanic Schools in Missouri

The 3 ranked aviation maintenance schools in Missouri, best score first. Each card shows the school's verified facts and the points it earned on each factor. Scores are national, out of 100, so a school scores the same here as on the national ranking.

Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)

    • Top Pick in Missouri

    #1

    State Technical College of Missouri

    Linn, Missouri #58 nationally

    51.5 of 100

    This program fits Missouri students who want a four-semester airframe-and-powerplant credential with an 84% IPEDS graduation rate and no other certificated program within about 94.3 miles.

    Type
    Community College
    Credentials
    AAS; Certificate (Airframe); plus 1 more
    Length
    four semesters
    Cost
    $32,301, total program (average tuition expense, 2024-2025)
Points by Factor: Aviation Maintenance Schools in Missouri
RankSchoolScoreOutcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
1State Technical College of Missouri51.5302.71404.8
2Ozarks Tech45.7140
3AIM Kansas City41.7010
Points by factor, methodology 2.1. † Peer median: the school has no figure for that factor, so it scores that factor's peer median (Outcomes 15, Cost 12.5, Scale its median among schools with an awards figure).

Across the State Line

Aviation Maintenance Schools Near the Missouri Border

3 FAA-approved schools in neighboring states within 100 miles of St. Louis, nearest first.

By Metro Area

Aviation Maintenance School Rankings by Missouri Metro Area

Each metro ranking scores every school within commuting range and adds the local airports, employers, and BLS pay for aircraft mechanics.

Metro areas: nearby schools, the top-ranked school, and median pay
Metro Ranking Schools Within 100 mi Top-Ranked School Median Pay, May 2025
Aviation maintenance schools near St. Louis4Lincoln Land Community College$77,600
Aviation maintenance schools near Kansas City1State Technical College of Missouri$71,080
FAA AV-Info Part 147 list; BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan area estimates

BLS Wage Data

Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Missouri

BLS reports a median annual wage of $71,470 ($34.36 an hour) for aircraft mechanics and service technicians in Missouri, where 1,700 people held the job in May 2025. That median ranks 38th of the 50 states with published data; the national median is $79,870.

Projections Central expects statewide employment in the occupation to move from 1,520 in 2024 to 1,580 in 2034 (+3.9%), with about 120 openings a year.

Statewide Aircraft Mechanic Pay Range $71,470median/yr ($34.36/hr)
$45,620 $97,160
Box shows the 25th to 75th percentile. Line spans the 10th to 90th percentile. BLS OEWS, May 2025 (SOC 49-3011)

Avionics Technician Pay in Missouri

Avionics Technicians, Missouri $71,520median/yr ($34.39/hr)
$50,190 $100,660
Box shows the 25th to 75th percentile. Line spans the 10th to 90th percentile. BLS OEWS, May 2025 (SOC 49-2091)

See the full Missouri aircraft mechanic salary breakdown by metro area

Local Context

St. Louis and Kansas City Split Missouri's Aviation Training

St. Louis's aircraft mechanics earn a median of $77,600 a year, above Kansas City's $71,080, even though the two metros are close in size: 2,811,927 people versus 2,253,579.

The Kansas City campus trains inside the lower-paying of the two markets. State Technical College of Missouri in Linn and Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield sit outside both metros, in the center of the state.

Illinois Options Just Across Missouri's Border

Southwestern Illinois College in Granite City sits just 11 miles from the Missouri border, with Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, farther out at 81.4 and 88.8 miles. Students near St. Louis have more than Missouri's own 3 schools to consider.

Methodology

How We Rank Aviation Maintenance Schools in Missouri

Every open FAA-approved college-level school gets one national score out of 100: Outcomes 30 (IPEDS graduation rate), Cost 25 (comparable whole-program price), Program Depth 20, Access 15, and Scale 10 (IPEDS awards a year). This page orders the schools in Missouri by that score, so the ranks here match the national list of 204 ranked schools.

The full rules, including how a missing figure is scored at the peer median, are on our ranking methodology page.

FAA Certification

Getting Your A&P License in Missouri

The FAA issues the mechanic certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings, known as the A&P, under federal rules in 14 CFR Part 65, so the path is the same in every state. You qualify by graduating from an FAA-approved school or by documenting at least 30 months of hands-on work for both ratings, then passing three FAA knowledge tests and an oral and practical exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Aviation Maintenance Schools in Missouri?

Which Missouri School Accepts GI Bill Benefits?

How Does Aircraft Mechanic Pay in Missouri Compare to the National Median?

What Is the Job Growth Outlook for Aircraft Mechanics in Missouri?

How Long Is Aviation Maintenance School in Missouri?

How Much Does Aviation Maintenance School Cost in Missouri?

Sources

All sources retrieved .

How we source and check each listing is explained on our data methodology page.