Points of interest…
- St. Louis CNAs earned $18.18 hourly in May 2023.
- Missouri requires full classroom and clinical hours in 2027.
- Free WIOA and employer-paid training options exist in 2027.
Nursing assistants in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro, one part of nursing careers, earned a median of $18.18 an hour, or $37,810 a year, as of May 2023, the most recent metro figure on record. Missouri requires a state-approved program and a passing score on the competency exam, key nursing licensure requirements, before you can work, and most courses run a matter of weeks, not years.
The tension for most St. Louis students is real: finish fast and cheap without landing in a program that skips Missouri's required hours or leaves you unprepared for the exam. Fast-track and employer-paid routes exist, but each carries its own tradeoffs.
Who Hires CNAs in St. Louis and What the Job Pays
Nursing assistants in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro earned a median of $18.18 an hour, or $37,810 a year, according to May 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.1 That is the most recent metro figure confirmed for this occupation. A matching statewide Missouri median is not available in the data reviewed, so no premium for the metro over the rest of the state is claimed.
Demand is deep. The metro counted 12,530 nursing assistant jobs in 2023,1 and Missouri as a whole had about 34,050 in 2025.2
Where the Jobs Are
Three employer types do most of the hiring: large hospital systems, long-term care chains, and home health agencies. Nursing homes and similar facilities typically handle most entry-level openings, so expect your first offers to come from long-term care. Hospitals often prefer some experience, which makes a first nursing home job a common stepping stone.
The Return on a Short Credential
At the metro median wage, a 40-hour week grosses roughly $727 before taxes. Because CNA programs in Missouri are brief and the wage starts immediately after certification, the credential can pay for itself within the first few weeks of full-time work. Your actual payback depends on CNA program cost, which varies by program.
Online, Hybrid, and 4-Week CNA Classes in St. Louis
The real choice here is flexibility versus the fact that Missouri will not let you skip the hands-on part. You can study the theory on your own time through online CNA programs, but you cannot certify from your couch.
No Fully Online Path
Missouri requires 175 total hours: 75 classroom hours that may be delivered online or hybrid, plus 100 clinical hours that must happen in person at an approved facility. Programs like the Missouri Health Care Association and St. Charles Community College move the lecture portion online, but both still route you through supervised clinicals. So "online" means the classroom piece, not the whole credential.
How Clinicals Get Arranged
In most St. Louis hybrid programs, the school places you at a partner long-term-care facility. St. Charles, for example, pairs online coursework with a handful of in-person lab days and roughly a dozen clinical shifts, typically scheduled 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Shift days vary (full-week, M/W/F, or T/Th), and evening slots are sometimes available but not guaranteed. If you already work at an approved care facility, you may be able to complete clinicals there with approval.
About "4-Week" Programs
Accelerated hybrids run roughly 5 to 10 weeks locally; research did not confirm an approved 4-week St. Louis option for 2026. A true accelerated schedule means full-time, near-daily attendance, and even the fastest timeline doesn't include the wait for your state exam. For working adults, Betty Jean Crowder, one of the nursing schools in St. Louis, offers day, evening, and Saturday scheduling.
Free and Employer-Paid CNA Training in St. Louis
Free training with no strings and free training tied to a job offer are different things, and St. Louis has both. Sorting them by who pays and what you owe back keeps surprises away.
Truly Free: WIOA and Job Corps
WIOA funds run through the Missouri Job Center at 1520 Market Street, Room 3050. You must be 18 or older, authorized to work in the US, and either unemployed or low-income. Register on MoJobs, then bring a photo ID, Social Security card, and proof of income or a layoff letter. Funding can take 2 to 8 weeks, and the CNA program must be on Missouri's Eligible Training Provider List. WIOA generally carries no employer commitment, but read your funding agreement.
St. Louis Job Corps Center (4333 Goodfellow Boulevard, (314) 679-6200) covers CNA training in full for income-eligible students who live on campus. Listings disagree on contact details, and age limits and repayment terms are unconfirmed, so call first.
Employer-Sponsored and Paid While Training
Delmar Gardens hires you as a nurse aide or nurse aide trainee, and training is free at its Chesterfield, O'Fallon, South, and Meramec Valley locations. The catch is a deadline: complete the course and certify within 120 days of hire. No separate repayment or minimum stay is documented, so ask for the terms in writing.
Reimbursement After Hire
Other long-term care employers may sponsor training or reimburse tuition, but their terms are not confirmed here. Ask each one how long you must stay and what you repay if you leave early.
What CNA Training Really Costs in St. Louis
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Missouri CNA Requirements and Certification Steps
Use this Missouri DHSS checklist before enrolling in a St. Louis CNA program.
- Check age and education prerequisitesMissouri's published rules do not set one uniform age or education minimum, so confirm program-specific prerequisites.
- Ask about background and TB screeningConfirm with the school or clinical site whether a background check and TB screening are required.
- Complete 75 classroom hoursMissouri DHSS requires 75 classroom hours in a state-approved program.
- Complete 100 clinical hoursAdd 100 clinical hours under direct licensed-nurse supervision for 175 total Missouri hours.
- Verify DHSS approvalSearch the DHSS Training Agencies page for the CNA approved training agency list and confirm the school is listed; the list is updated monthly.
- Pass the state examPass the written exam (oral option available) and the skills practicum.
- Get listed on the registryAfter passing both parts, your name is added to the Missouri Nurse Aide Registry through DHSS.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Can you commit to 6 to 12 months at one facility in exchange for free training?
Employer-paid programs usually come with a work commitment, and leaving early can mean repaying tuition. If you want freedom to pick your first employer, a self-paid course may be the better fit.
Can you reach the clinical site by MetroLink or MetroBus, and do its shifts fit your current job?
Clinical rotations follow the facility's schedule, often early mornings. If you don't drive, check transit routes and start times first, since a missed rotation can delay your course completion.
Do you plan to move on to LPN or RN school later?
If so, a credit-bearing community college CNA course may justify a higher price, because those credits can count toward a nursing pathway. If CNA work is the goal, a cheaper short course may do.
Top CNA Programs Serving St. Louis Students
Below are the top CNA programs serving St. Louis students, ranked by accreditation status, institutional fit, and completion data. Each program meets Missouri's training requirements and offers hands-on clinical experience, with several featuring employer partnerships or hybrid formats.
Factors considered
- First-year retention rates
- Student-to-faculty ratios
- Accreditation status
- Program format and clinical access
- Affordability and funding options
Data sources
- BEA state price parities, used to adjust tuition — bea.gov
- College Scorecard post-completion earnings data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Program-level records maintained in house
- Original research on individual programs
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) — nces.ed.gov
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Saint Louis Community College | Bridgeton, MO | $5,000 – $10,000/yr (est.) | Hospital-bound learners wanting employer funding | |
Saint Louis Community College, located in Bridgeton in St. Louis County, offers a Patient Care Technician program that can lead to CNA exam eligibility. The nine-week hybrid format combines classroom, online, and hospital-based clinical practice, with partner placements through BJC HealthCare and SSM Health. Selected students may receive employer-funded training, and the institution-wide average net price after aid is about $8,440. This is a strong fit for St. Louis residents, especially those commuting from Florissant or north St. Louis County.
| |||||
| #2 | St. Charles Community College | Cottleville, MO | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | Working adults needing hybrid schedule | |
St. Charles Community College in Cottleville, St. Charles County, offers a Missouri DHSS approved CNA program with hybrid flexibility. The program includes 75 hours of online classroom instruction and 100 hours of clinical internship, with accelerated hybrid options and spring/summer start dates. Tuition ranges from $600 to $950, and the institution-wide average net price after aid is about $5,837. This program is convenient for St. Charles County residents and commuters from western St. Louis County who need online theory paired with in-person clinical training.
| |||||
| #3 | Jefferson College | Hillsboro, MO | $7,000/yr (est. net price) | Budget-conscious learners wanting apprenticeship add-on | |
Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Jefferson County, offers a 12-week CNA program with 75 classroom hours and 100 hours of supervised clinical practice. The total program tuition is $2,550, with financial aid and scholarships available, and an optional apprenticeship adds paid, hands-on experience. The institution-wide average net price after aid is about $7,378, and the school reports an overall graduation rate of about 38%. This campus-based program is a practical option for students in Jefferson County and the southern St. Louis region, especially those interested in long-term care settings.
| |||||
| #4 | East Central College | Union, MO | ~$13,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #5 | Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | $8,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
| #6 | Crowder College | Neosho, MO | $6,000 – $8,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #7 | State Fair Community College | Sedalia, MO | $8,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
| #8 | Missouri State University-West Plains | West Plains, MO | ~$10,000/yr (est.) | ||
Comparing Programs: Pass Rates, Clinical Sites, and Commute
The closest program is not always the one most likely to get you certified, so weigh the commute against results. Missouri does not publish CNA exam pass rates by program. Approved instructors can pull program-level reports through the exam vendor, D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster), but there is no public lookup. Statewide, DHSS reported that over the past 12 months, 63.45% of first-time test-takers passed the knowledge test and 76.3% passed the skills test. Ask each program directly for its first-attempt pass rate and its completion rate, and be wary of one that won't share either.
Questions to Ask
- Clinicals: Which facility hosts them, and how far is it from home?
- Ratio: How many students share one instructor during clinicals?
- Exam fee: Is the state exam included in tuition?
- Placement: Does the program offer job placement help?
Mapping the Commute
Choosing between St. Louis City and St. Louis County campuses, or suburban options in Florissant, St. Charles, Chesterfield, and Kirkwood, often comes down to where your clinical site sits relative to home and work. Belleville and other Illinois-side programs train for the Illinois registry, not Missouri's. For more choices, topnursing.org's Missouri nursing schools cover Kansas City, Columbia, and Springfield.
St. Louis CNA Training FAQ
These are the questions prospective nursing assistants ask most often about CNA training in St. Louis. Answers cover choosing a program, Missouri's training timeline, reciprocity for Illinois certificate holders, and keeping certification active.
There is no single best program for everyone. Use the ranked list below to compare state-approved options by total cost, class format, schedule, and clinical site location. A strong fit is approved by Missouri, affordable for you, and has clinical placements you can physically reach.
Plan for a state-approved training program that meets Missouri's required classroom and clinical hours, then time to schedule and pass the final examination and be placed on the registry. Depending on class format and test availability, the full process often runs from a few weeks to a few months.
Missouri recognizes active out-of-state certifications, including Illinois, through reciprocity. You submit a written request to DHSS using the Missouri Reciprocity form and upload proof of your active certificate. You do not have to retake Missouri's final exam, and temporary CNA status is not recognized.
Keep certification active by working at least 8 hours in nursing or nursing-related services during each 24-month period, documented with a paystub, W-2, or employer letter. Renew for a $20 fee. After two inactive years, you can challenge the exam; after five, retake the full course.
