| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community college district; campus-based, with many programs taught as a mix of campus and online courses |
| Campuses | 5 campuses (Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec, Wildwood, South County) and the William J. Harrison Education Center, all in the St. Louis area of Missouri |
| Credentials | Certificates of Specialization and of Proficiency, associate degrees (AA, AS, AAS, AFA, AAT), one bachelor’s degree (Respiratory Care BS), and non-credit job training |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1966, no sanction; next reaffirmation 2027-28 |
| Federal aid | Yes, but some short certificates and all non-credit job training, including truck driving, are not aid-eligible |
| 2026-27 tuition | $127 per credit in-district, $176 out-of-district, $238 out-of-state |
| Students | 17,236 credit students in fall 2025 |
| History | Accredited in 1966 as the Junior College District of St. Louis; renamed in 1976 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A public college district with five campuses around St. Louis
St. Louis Community College (STLCC) is the public community college district for St. Louis City and County, plus parts of Franklin and Jefferson counties. It was known as the Junior College District of St. Louis until 1976 and has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1966. It teaches at five campuses, Florissant Valley in Ferguson, Forest Park, Meramec in Kirkwood, Wildwood and South County, and at the Harrison Education Center in the city. Enrollment rose 10% to 17,236 credit students in fall 2025. Proposition R, an 8-cent tax levy, was approved in 2021. The college’s building program broke ground on new nursing and health-sciences, advanced-manufacturing and transportation buildings in 2023, and by October 2025 it had held ribbon-cuttings for six new buildings on four campuses. Its Respiratory Care BS is its first bachelor’s degree.
Main career programs and where they are taught
The Fall 2026 catalog lists about 80 credit programs, plus six non-credit Accelerated Job Training courses such as truck driving and medical assistant. The table shows the main career programs. Credit totals are the catalog minimums, and “hybrid” means the catalog lists a mix of face-to-face and online courses.
| Program | Credential | Length or entry | Campus | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | AAS, 66 credits | Selective (TEAS and GPA) | Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec, Wildwood | NCLEX-RN |
| Practical Nursing (new) | Certificate, 38 credits | Selective | South County | NCLEX-PN |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS, 73 credits | 2 years full-time, fall start | Florissant Valley, Forest Park | National and clinical boards |
| Radiologic Technology | AAS, 73 credits | 3 years full-time | Forest Park, Florissant Valley | ARRT |
| Respiratory Care | AAS, 74 credits; BS, 120 credits | AAS waiting list; BS up to 16 a year | Forest Park (AAS), Florissant Valley (BS) | NBRC (RRT) |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS | Up to 24 a year | Forest Park | NBCOT (COTA) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS | – | Forest Park, Wildwood | – |
| Paramedic Technology | AAS, 74 credits; certificate, 50 | Missouri EMT-B licence needed first | Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Wildwood | – |
| Medical Assisting | Certificate, 9 credits | – | Florissant Valley | NHA CCMA |
| Funeral Service Education | AAS | – | Forest Park | – |
| Automotive Technology | AAS, 61 credits; certificates | – | Forest Park | ASE areas |
| Diesel Technology | AAS; certificates | – | Forest Park | – |
| Professional Truck Driving (non-credit) | CDL-A, 160 clock hours | About 4 weeks (day) or 5 (night) | Forest Park | Missouri Class A CDL |
| Welding Technology | Certificates, 16 and 31 credits | 1 or 2 semesters | Florissant Valley | – |
| HVAC Technician | Certificate, 7 credits | 1 part-time fall term | Florissant Valley | EPA Section 608 |
| Precision Machining Technology | Certificate, 17 credits | 1 fall term | Florissant Valley | NIMS Level 1 |
| Culinary Arts; Baking and Pastry Arts | AAS, 65 credits each | – | Forest Park | ACF Certified Culinarian / Pastry Culinarian |
| Legal Studies for the Paralegal | AAS, 60 credits; certificate, 33 | Hybrid | Meramec | – |
| Cybersecurity; Network Security Engineering | AAS, 60 credits each; certificates | – | Forest Park | CompTIA Security+ and others |
| Software Developer | AAS, 61 credits | Hybrid | Forest Park, Meramec | – |
Programmatic accreditation includes ACEN for nursing, CODA for dental hygiene, JRCERT for radiologic technology at Forest Park (Florissant Valley is in initial review), ACOTE for the occupational therapy assistant program, CAPTE for physical therapist assistant, CoARC for respiratory care (provisional for the BS), CAAHEP for paramedic, surgical technology and sonography, NAACLS for clinical laboratory technology, CAHIIM for health information management, ABFSE for funeral service, the ASE Education Foundation for automotive and diesel, and the American Culinary Federation for culinary, baking and hospitality. The new Practical Nursing certificate has tentative state board approval, with ACEN accreditation pending.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (RN)
The Nursing associate degree is taught at Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec and Wildwood. Admission is selective: a 2.5 GPA, a TEAS score of at least 58.7%, and biology and chemistry with a C or better within the past five years. Like other health programs, it requires a background check, immunizations and a health history. Licensed practical nurses and paramedics can join through a bridge course. The college says the degree meets the educational requirements for licensure in Missouri and Illinois, and graduates sit the NCLEX-RN.
Welding Technology
Both welding certificates are taught at Florissant Valley. The 16-credit certificate fills one fall semester in three 5-week segments, with OSHA 10 safety training (GE 141), GE 140, GE 135, WEL 100, oxy-acetylene welding (WEL 150), WEL 152 and Arc Welding I (WEL 154). The 31-credit certificate runs over two semesters and adds Arc Welding II in horizontal, vertical and overhead positions, gas metal arc and flux-cored welding, gas tungsten arc welding, large-diameter work and a metallurgy course. The catalog does not name an AWS certification or programmatic accreditation for either certificate.
HVAC Technician and Precision Machining
These are short starting certificates at Florissant Valley. HVAC Technician is three courses and 7 credits in one part-time fall term: GE 140, OSHA 10 (GE 141) and HVAC Operator I (ME 110), after which the catalog says students are prepared for the EPA Section 608 exam. There is no HVAC associate degree. Precision Machining Technology is 17 credits in one fall term, covering measurement, benchwork, Manual Machining I and II, an introduction to CNC and blueprints, built around seven NIMS Level 1 credentials.
Professional Truck Driving (CDL)
The non-credit CDL-A course is 160 clock hours at Forest Park’s Highland Park Building, with a driving range in Lot F. Day cohorts meet Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 3:30 for about four weeks; night cohorts meet Monday to Friday from 4 to 10 pm for about five weeks. Students must score 80% or more on four final exams and are prepared for the Missouri CDL exam given by the Highway Patrol. Listed starts include 12 October, 26 October and 9 November 2026 and January, February and March 2027.
Radiologic Technology
Radiologic Technology is organized over three years of full-time study at Forest Park or Florissant Valley. Applicants for spring 2027 entry need a 2.5 GPA, eight hours of job shadowing, a background check and a drug screen. Graduates take the ARRT radiography exam. The Forest Park program holds an eight-year JRCERT award, while Florissant Valley’s newer program is in JRCERT’s initial accreditation review. The college also lists Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging certificates for registered technologists who want to add a specialty.
Dental Hygiene
Dental Hygiene is a two-year, full-time associate degree that starts each fall at Florissant Valley or Forest Park. Applicants need a 3.0 GPA in science courses and 20 hours of observation, and the college makes offers by application date and campus preference. Students prepare for the national board and clinical exams and Missouri Dental Board licensure. Forest Park also runs a public dental hygiene clinic. The program is accredited by CODA with “approval without reporting requirements”.
2026-27 tuition and how students pay
STLCC charges by the credit hour, and the rate depends on where you live. The district covers St. Louis City and County and two school districts in Franklin and Jefferson counties.
| 2026-27, per credit hour | Rate |
|---|---|
| In-district (St. Louis City and County, and the Meramec Valley R-III and Rockwood R-6 parts of Franklin and Jefferson counties) | $127 |
| Out-of-district (rest of Missouri) | $176 |
| Out-of-state | $238 |
| International | $248 |
| Online courses: in-district residents | $127 |
| Online courses: out-of-district, MSEP and out-of-state students | $130 |
| Seniors 60 and over living in the service area (plus course fees) | $63.50 |
| High-school dual enrollment | $77 |
| High-school dual credit | $25 |
Some programs add fees: nursing courses carry a $575 ATI fee each semester, and two practical nursing courses carry a $795 ATI fee each. The college estimates the Nursing AAS at about $13,000 for the two years and Dental Hygiene at $18,196 at the in-district rate. The non-credit CDL-A course is $6,500 plus about $175 for the DOT physical and drug test, and CDL-B is $3,500. Niche’s Meramec page gives a net price of $7,741 a year.
STLCC takes federal student aid. According to its 2025-26 IPEDS summary, 51% of first-time full-time students and 31% of all students received Pell Grants. Not everything is aid-eligible: the HVAC Technician and Medical Assisting certificates say so on their catalog pages, and the non-credit job-training courses, including truck driving, are not eligible for federal aid or Pell. Students 65 and over can audit courses for $20 a credit under the Missouri Senior Scholarship.
Open admission, with selective health programs
The college has open admission. Many health programs have their own entry rules and limited seats: Nursing and Practical Nursing ask for a 2.5 GPA and a TEAS score of 58.7%; Dental Hygiene a 3.0 science GPA and 20 observation hours; Radiologic Technology a 2.5 GPA and eight hours of shadowing; Paramedic a Missouri EMT-Basic licence and 75% on a pre-test. Respiratory Care’s associate degree has a waiting list, the bachelor’s takes up to 16 students a year, and Occupational Therapy Assistant takes up to 24 a year, first come, first served. Health programs require a background check, immunizations and a health history. Students who first enrolled from fall 2019 must pass the Missouri Civics Examination to earn an associate degree.
Courses run in 8- and 16-week terms, and the catalog gives full- and part-time plans. Many programs mix face-to-face and online courses; the Business Administration transfer degree is the only program the catalog says can be completed entirely online.
Accreditation and results
STLCC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission continuously since 1966, and HLC’s record shows no sanction. HLC completed a multi-location visit on 21 May 2026, and the next reaffirmation is due in 2027-28. The results below are the college’s own published figures; the graduation and transfer rates come from its 2025-26 IPEDS summary.
| Measure | Result | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate (IPEDS overall rate) | 29% | Students who started in fall 2022 |
| Transfer-out rate | 20% | Fall 2022 starters |
| Nursing (RN), NCLEX-RN pass rate | 88.11% (200 of 227); Missouri 88.66% | 2025 |
| Dental Hygiene, national, clinical and licensure exams | 100% (31 graduates) | Class of 2024 |
| Radiologic Technology, ARRT first-attempt pass rate | 86% (125 of 145) | Five-year average, 2021-2025 |
| Radiologic Technology, job placement within 12 months | 96% (132 of 138) | Five-year average, 2021-2025 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant, program graduation rate | 52% (28 of 54) | Three-year average, 2022-2024 |
The practical nursing certificate is new and has no NCLEX-PN results yet. The respiratory care page cites national awards for credentialing success but gives no pass-rate figures.
Before you enroll
- Check aid eligibility first. The HVAC Technician and Medical Assisting certificates and all non-credit job training, including the $6,500 CDL-A course, cannot be paid for with federal aid.
- Some programs are smaller than their names suggest. The HVAC Technician certificate has one HVAC course, and Medical Assisting is 9 credits, pending NHA accreditation rather than CAAHEP accreditation.
- Two health programs are still being accredited: Radiologic Technology at Florissant Valley is in JRCERT’s initial review, and the South County Practical Nursing certificate has only tentative state board approval, with ACEN accreditation pending.
- Criminal Justice is not a police academy, and Business Administration and General Fine Arts are transfer degrees aimed at a four-year college rather than a job.
- The federal graduation rate is 29%, with another 20% transferring out. The Occupational Therapy Assistant program’s three-year graduation average is 52%.
Five campuses and an education center: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Main programs here |
|---|---|---|
| Florissant Valley | 3400 Pershall Road, Ferguson, MO 63135 | Welding, HVAC, machining, engineering technology, nursing, dental hygiene, radiologic technology, paramedic, medical assisting, Respiratory Care BS, coding certificate |
| Forest Park (main) | 5600 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110 | Most health programs, funeral service, automotive, diesel, CDL truck driving, culinary, baking, hospitality, cybersecurity, network security, software developer |
| Meramec | 11333 Big Bend Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122 | Accounting, business transfer, paralegal, interior design, software, web and database development, horticulture, nursing |
| Wildwood | 2645 Generations Drive, Wildwood, MO 63040 | Nursing, paramedic, physical therapist assistant, clinical laboratory technology, sonography |
| South County | 4115 Meramec Bottom Road, St. Louis, MO 63129 | Practical Nursing certificate (only here), general-education and health-science courses |
| William J. Harrison Education Center | 3140 Cass Ave., St. Louis, MO 63106 | Credit and non-credit courses, contract training, advising |
The college also runs the non-credit Center for Workforce Innovation next to Florissant Valley, the Corporate College in Bridgeton and a plant-science lab at BRDG Park, and teaches dual-credit classes in local high schools; we do not list these as campuses.
Child care and student help
STLCC has no on-campus housing; Niche describes it as a commuter school. Forest Park has a Child Development Learning Center for children from 6 weeks to 6 years, and Florissant Valley has an NAEYC-accredited Child Development Center. Student Advocacy and Resource Centers at Florissant Valley, Forest Park and Meramec run food pantries and emergency funds and refer students to other help. The Center for Workforce Innovation places about 500 trainees a year with local employers.
What students say
On Niche, STLCC’s three most-reviewed campus pages are rated 3.72 to 3.78 out of 5, with 334 to 498 reviews each: Florissant Valley 3.78 (334 reviews), Meramec 3.76 (498) and Forest Park 3.72 (359), checked 10 October 2026. On the Meramec page, reviewers most often praise helpful, engaged professors, evening and online scheduling that fits around work, and low tuition as a practical starting point. The most common complaints are a limited social life at a commuter school and financial aid and advising offices that are hard to deal with. Niche did not show when the reviews were posted, so we cannot say whether they were invited or came in bursts. Smaller Niche pages, for Wildwood and the college as a whole, have fewer than 60 reviews each and higher averages.
Sources
Checked October 2026: STLCC Fall 2026 catalog · STLCC locations · Tuition and fees 2026-27 · HLC accreditation record · STLCC IPEDS summary 2025-26 · Nursing (RN) pathway · Truck driving · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Nursing AAS (RN)
- LPN and Paramedic to RN bridge
- Practical Nursing certificate (new, South County)
Health Sciences
- Dental Hygiene
- Radiologic Technology
- Computed Tomography
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Respiratory Care (AAS)
- Respiratory Care (BS)
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Surgical Technology
- Clinical Laboratory Technology
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Medical Assisting
- Health Information Management
- Clinical Coding
- Paramedic Technology
- Funeral Service Education
Transportation
- Automotive Technology
- Diesel Technology
- Professional Truck Driving (CDL-A and CDL-B, non-credit)
Skilled Trades and Manufacturing
- Welding Technology
- HVAC Technician (7-credit certificate)
- Precision Machining Technology
- Engineering Technology
- Skilled Trades Industrial Occupations Technology (for apprentices)
- Industrial Maintenance (non-credit)
Business
- Accounting
- Computer Accounting Technology
- Business Administration (transfer AA)
Culinary and Hospitality
- Culinary Arts
- Baking and Pastry Arts
- Hospitality Management
Criminal Justice & Law
- Criminal Justice
- Legal Studies for the Paralegal
Computing
- Software Developer
- Accelerated IT Academy – Programming and Coding
- Web Developer
- Database Developer
- Cybersecurity
- Network Security Engineering
Design and Arts
- Interior Design
- Graphic Communications
- Photography
- General Fine Arts (transfer AFA)
Horticulture
- Horticulture
Campus Locations
St. Louis (Ferguson), MO 3400 Pershall Road, Ferguson, MO 63135
St. Louis (Forest Park), MO 5600 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110
St. Louis (Kirkwood), MO 11333 Big Bend Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122
St. Louis (Wildwood), MO 2645 Generations Drive, Wildwood, MO 63040
St. Louis (Oakville), MO 4115 Meramec Bottom Road, St. Louis, MO 63129
St. Louis (JeffVanderLou), MO 3140 Cass Ave., St. Louis, MO 63106