Education
Diverse PreK-12 options exist to make sure our youngest minds have the opportunity to thrive.
Joplin is an emerging educational center with opportunities available to grow the minds of all residents. From Joplin's strong early education programs to institutions of higher education, you are well-positioned to build strong educational foundations for success.
13:1 student-to-teacher ratio | 47.2% of teachers hold a Master's degree or higher | 693 faculty members | 2:1 student-to-computer ratio for K-7 | 1:1 student-to-computer ratio for 8-12
11 elementary schools | 3 middle schools | 1 high school & technical school
Joplin Schools serves more than 7,700 students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. The primary focus of the district is its “3 to Achieve” initiative, which is incorporated into the curriculum and drives its strategic plan: student readiness, learner support, and effective and efficient technology.
There are a plethora of extracurricular activities and courses offered by Joplin Schools, including the ability to graduate high school with an associate degree. Opportunities to engage in technology education abound with classes in pre-engineering, robotics, and more. Advanced Placement and dual-credit classes as well as Project Lead the Way courses and online learning opportunities are available to everyone while Franklin Technology Center prepares students to enter the workplace directly after high school.
Serving 184 preschool students, 260 students ages 3 to 5 are educated at the 38,000-square-foot center, with about 51 percent of students requiring special education services.
The center includes 20 classrooms, plus common learning spaces, activity areas, and a learning grove that is situated in the middle of the building.
550 students, PreK-12 | 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio | 99% of graduates attend 4-year institutions
College Heights Christian School (CHCS) has served Joplin-area students as a faith-based, college prep, non-denominational school for over forty years.
CHCS is a member of the Association of Christian Schools, International and an AdvancED accredited school. A Christ-centered learning environment is promoted within the institution through weekly chapel and the incorporation of Christian values and biblical lessons in all areas of study.
As a member of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, CHCS students frequently compete against area schools in cross country, track, basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, and golf. Students also have opportunities to participate in drama and visual arts groups, academic bowl, and acclaimed programs in vocal and instrumental music.
All students follow a college-prep curriculum which offers options for Advanced Placement in calculus, biology, literature and composition along with 33 hours of available dual-credit classes. Curriculum for each grade, from preschool through high school, includes Spanish lessons with the ability to earn college credit through dual-credit Spanish courses.
CHCS students frequently become National Merit Commended Students or Finalists and the recent addition of the Missouri A+ scholarship program adds to numerous other collegiate scholarship opportunities for graduating seniors.
350+ students, PreK-12 | 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio | 28.5 average ACT score | 100% acceptance rate into 4-year Institutions
Since 1993, Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School has engaged students in a rigorous liberal arts college preparatory curriculum. The school has graduated more than 330 students, with virtually all enrolling in four-year institutions immediately following graduation.
A classical Western civilization curriculum emphasizes the study of classic texts - both modern and ancient, the humanities, foreign languages, studio and performing arts, mathematics, and the sciences. Technology is fully integrated into the school’s programming.
Outside of the classroom, extracurricular activities include performing and visual arts, academic and athletic competitions, field trips, and various clubs.
Enrollment is open to all, and financial aid is available to qualified students. The school awards more than one million dollars in financial aid annually to over half of the student population. Additionally, significant privately funded merit-based scholarships are available.
340 students | 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio | 95% of graduates enter 4-year institutions
Joplin Area Catholic Schools has a legacy going back to 1885 when the Sisters of Mercy founded St. Peter’s School. The system now encompasses three schools: St. Mary’s Elementary, St. Peter’s Middle School, and McAuley High School. All three are accredited through the Missouri Nonpublic School Accredited Association, are members of MSHSAA, and belong to the Ozark Seven Conference.
St. Mary’s is the home to an early childhood center, where children ages 2 to 5 experience the joys of learning at an early age, and continue at St. Mary’s, with kindergarten through fifth grade. Children in grades six through eight attend St. Peter’s and their high school career continues at McAuley with the opportunity to take Advanced Placement and dual-credit courses.
Each year, McAuley High School seniors earn close to $1 million in scholarships. Approximately 99 percent of students graduate and attend four-year universities and colleges across the country.
120 students, PreK-8 | 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio
Martin Luther educates students from preschool through eighth grade. The school maintains a low student-to-teacher ratio because of its class size limits. By linking curriculum to the real world, students become problem solvers, good stewards, and active citizens.
Higher Education
Students from all over the world choose to follow their passions in Joplin. Missouri Southern State University offers over 140+ academic programs to nearly 6,000 students. Ozark Christian College is a national leading Bible college, training students for Christian service. The new Kansas City University - Joplin campus is Missouri's first new medical school campus in nearly 50 years, featuring state-of-the-art facilities and technology to educate the next generation of medical doctors and bioscientists. In 2022, KCU-Joplin will open a new College of Dental Medicine, further enhancing opportunities for a diverse group of learners and changemakers to choose Joplin.
When fully enrolled in 2020 – 600 students | 50% of KCU alumni practice in primary care specialties | 30% serving in rural or underserved areas
For more than a century, Kansas City University (KCU) has been at the forefront of educating osteopathic physicians and health professionals to meet the medical needs of the communities it serves. Founded in 1916, KCU began as one of the nation’s first colleges of osteopathic medicine. Today it is the eighth largest medical school in the United States and the largest medical school in Missouri.
In 2017, the University opened a second campus in Joplin, the KCU Farber-McIntire Campus (KCU-Joplin). As the only medical school campus in southwest Missouri, KCU-Joplin provides medical education for students who will complete their degrees and ultimately practice medicine in the area, rather than relocating after graduation. As the need for access to health care increases in Joplin and within the surrounding rural areas, KCU-Joplin will provide more doctors and expand access to primary care. KCU continues to expand its commitment to health care in the Four-State Area.
In June 2019, KCU announced the development of a College of Dental Medicine on the Farber-McIntire campus to help meet the great demand for dentists and solve the oral health crisis in the region. The College of Dental Medicine is projected to open in fall 2022, bringing additional faculty and staff and 80 new students each year to reside, study, and ultimately provide dental care in Joplin and the surrounding area.
6,006 students (Fall 2018) | 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio | 140 academic programs | Students from 40 countries
Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) offers a wide variety of bachelor’s degree offerings, as well as a growing number of master’s programs. The university has more than 70 student organizations, over a dozen NCAA Division II sports teams, and 11 partnerships with universities around the globe for those who wish to study abroad.
MSSU’s Lion Pride Tuition program offers in-state tuition rates to students in every state touching Missouri (Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Nebraska) as well as Texas, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
4,521 students (Fall 2018) | 13:1 student-to-teacher ratio | 80+ degree and certificate programs
Established on the former site of Camp Crowder in nearby Neosho, Crowder College has grown to serve a nine-county region since its inception in 1963. The community college prepares students to transfer to four-year institutions or to directly enter the workforce.
Crowder has six locations for easy access for students across southwest Missouri. The main campus in Neosho offers affordable education alongside student housing, athletics teams, a working farm, fine art and career or technical programs. Additional instructional centers are located in Cassville, McDonald County, Nevada, and Webb City.
By collaborating with area businesses and industries, Crowder has developed training programs that teach necessary skills in specialized programs, including truck driving, alternative energy, veterinary technology, EMT/paramedic, training, and nursing programs for both RN's and LPN's.
Crowder’s newest partnership with the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Joplin has created specialized training for high-demand jobs at the Advanced Training and Technology Center. These programs may be completed in one or two semesters.
608 students (Fall 2018) | 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio | 18 Academic Programs
For over 75 years, Ozark Christian College has held fast to one mission: training men and women for Christian service.
Ozark’s 15,000 alumni serve in all 50 states and in over 100 countries worldwide. Meanwhile, enrollment now averages more than 600 students each semester, making Ozark one of the largest undergraduate Bible colleges in the nation.
With associate and bachelor’s degree offerings and a legacy of outstanding biblical training, Ozark students are equipped for ministry of all kinds, from missions and music to preaching, counseling, and children’s ministry. A dual-degree program with neighboring Missouri Southern State University allows students to complete a degree from each institution in a five-year timeline while online degree options in Biblical Studies cater to students around the world.
Outside the classroom, Ozark’s well-known athletics programs have received many honors, including five national championships. Students have opportunities to join basketball, cross country, women’s volleyball, and men’s soccer teams, while participating in intramural sports, drama, performance groups, and other community building activities that prepare students for Christian service.
Technical Schools and Workforce Development
With its multiple technical schools, the Joplin area is dedicated to the improvement of its regional workforce at all levels, and to the development of its local economy.
In March of 2013, Joplin’s home county, Jasper County was nationally recognized as the first ACT Certified Work Ready Community in the United States. The county’s certification was renewed in 2015 and again in 2020.
Since 2009, City Pointe Beauty Academy has focused on preparing top salon professionals through a variety of programs that teach professional skills along with a business background.
City Pointe, which has an annual enrollment of about 80 students, is a Redken premier school that trains its students with only top-of-the-line professional products.
The school offers several programs, including cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and a newly expanded massage therapy program. Students get hands-on salon and spa training by serving guests along with classroom lectures, which consist of written and practical exams.
City Pointe is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences, licensed by the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, the Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage, and is certified to operate by the Missouri Department of Education as well as the U.S. Department of Education.
Dedicated to serving secondary students from Joplin, Carl Junction, Webb City, and Sarcoxie districts, as well as home-school and private-school students, Franklin Technology Center (FTC) is one of the area’s leading career centers.
In 1937, FTC began as a Joplin Schools program and has since expanded to serve students across the region, as well as approximately 200 full-time adult students. Programs offered by FTC help meet the manpower needs of the community and are offered at the secondary level in areas of trade and industry, health, agriculture, business and marketing.
Co-curricular activities, career and technical student organizations, like Skills USA and DECA, provide leadership and workplace readiness skills. The primary focus for all FTC programs, both secondary and adult, is on high-wage or high-demand occupational areas, including welding, HVAC, culinary arts, automotive technology, and more.
New Dimensions has been offering cosmetology, hairdressing, and manicuring programs to Joplin-area students since its establishment in 1991.
The school uses Paul Mitchell products and hosts Paul Mitchell-trained educators, who teach at the school twice monthly, to provide further education to students. These extra classes concentrate on aspects of working in a salon and on guest services rather than textbook theories.
With class sizes of around 30 students, New Dimensions offers different attendance schedules to fit the needs and lifestyles of all students, including those who are single parents, have part-time jobs, and/or have school-age children.
The WTI Joplin campus specializes in helping students change careers, begin new careers, or train for promotions within their current workplace. With five campus locations across Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, WTI has been a fixture in the region for over 65 years.
The school differs from other technical schools with its small, student-centered classes and flexible scheduling, which helps students make enrollment through graduation a process.
Offered programs include computer technology and network administration; heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration technology; and medical assistant and pharmacy technician training. Through their program advisory committees, WTI stays in constant contact with employers to ensure that its curriculum meets the needs of organizations in the area.
