Precision Metal Working at Ranken Technical College

Ranken Technical College turns out some of the highest-earning precision metalworking graduates in Missouri—and it's not particularly close. At $45,004 in the first year, graduates earn nearly $10,000 more than the state median and rank in the 80th percentile among Missouri programs. Nationally, the picture is even stronger: this program sits in the 93rd percentile, well above the national median of $36,248. The $9,500 in typical debt produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.21, meaning graduates earn their total educational debt back in roughly three months of work.

The earnings trajectory holds up too, with graduates seeing modest but steady growth to $49,350 by year four. That 10% increase suggests the technical skills translate into workplace value rather than dead-ending at entry-level wages. With 42% of students qualifying for Pell grants, the program clearly serves working-class families looking for a direct path to solid manufacturing jobs.

For parents evaluating trade school options, this is what success looks like: low debt, high starting wages relative to peers, and placement in a skilled trade with room to advance. The St. Louis manufacturing sector appears to reward these credentials handsomely.