Best Medical Assistant Schools Near Poplar Bluff, MO (2026)

Poplar Bluff, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering medical assistant programs, with tuition ranging from $8,090 to $25,082 per year for indexed programs. Poplar Bluff has a population of about 16,243. Median household income is $42,035 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning medical assistant-related role is Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant at a median $43,980 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Medical Assistant Schools to Poplar Bluff

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer medical assistant programs near Poplar Bluff, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Poplar Bluff city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Poplar Bluff. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score β€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center

Cape Girardeau, MO 58.6 miles from Poplar Bluff
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,369
Avg net price $17,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Council on Occupational EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Missouri State University-West Plains

West Plains, MO 79.9 miles from Poplar Bluff
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
40.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,922
Avg net price $9,750/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

East Central College

Union, MO 119.1 miles from Poplar Bluff
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
46.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,916
Avg net price $13,128/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

St Louis College of Health Careers-Fenton

Fenton, MO 123.1 miles from Poplar Bluff
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
50.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,217
Avg net price $24,395/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

St Louis College of Health Careers-St Louis

Saint Louis, MO 129.4 miles from Poplar Bluff
  • 2 year
40.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,217
Avg net price $27,777/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

St Charles Community College

Cottleville, MO 138.6 miles from Poplar Bluff
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,422
Avg net price $5,837/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,048
Out‑of‑state$6,096
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Midwest Institute

Earth City, MO 138.7 miles from Poplar Bluff
  • 2 year
42.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,414
Avg net price $18,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bryan University

Springfield, MO 158.7 miles from Poplar Bluff
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $28,725
Avg net price $20,053/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Missouri schools on the Missouri medical assistant page.


Medical Assistant Wages Near Poplar Bluff

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Missouri, statewide)
Medical Assistant$40,440
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant$43,980
Healthcare Support Worker$39,940

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Poplar Bluff at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population16,243Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$42,035Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Poplar Bluff-Area Cities With Medical Assistant Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited medical assistant schools are near Poplar Bluff, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering medical assistant programs near Poplar Bluff. The closest is Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, MO (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Arkansas State University (65.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying medical assistant roles in Missouri?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying medical assistant-related roles in Missouri are: Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($43,980), Medical Assistant ($40,440), Healthcare Support Worker ($39,940). Wages for Poplar Bluff workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Paragould instead of Poplar Bluff?

Paragould, AR is 49.2 miles from Poplar Bluff and has its own set of local medical assistant programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Poplar Bluff an affordable place to study medical assistant?

Poplar Bluff’s median household income of $42,035 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Poplar Bluff while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Medical Assistant Programs

Other Programs Available in Poplar Bluff

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Poplar Bluff:

Data verified: August 25, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.