MRI Technologist Training

MRI Tech Programs in Missouri

Tesla MR's hybrid MRI program takes 12 to 18 months and needs no prior imaging credential: coursework is online, and our site team arranges your clinical training. Every other program a Missouri resident can attend is compared below.

Comparing programs nationally? See MRI tech school formats, costs, and certification paths. Checking accreditation? See every accredited MRI tech certification program.

View Program Details Compare every program near you
MRI technologist student training at a clinical site
$83K Avg. Salary
25 Affiliated Sites
12-18 mo Program Length
Starting at $11,500 Tuition

Program at a glance

  • 12-18 month program
  • No prerequisites: a high school diploma or GED
  • 100% online coursework
  • Our site team handles clinical placement
  • Eligible to sit the ARMRIT exam on completion

Start your MRI career in Missouri

No application fee. Rolling admissions year-round.

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Your options

MRI programs available to Missouri residents

8 in-person or regional programs plus Tesla MR's hybrid option. 4 of them train you in MRI directly without a prior X-ray credential. Facts come from each school's published pages. Confirm with the school before you apply.

Published cost is what each school states on its own site. Some schools publish tuition only; others include fees, books, or uniforms; public colleges often distinguish in-district from out-of-district rates. Each row says which. For the national list with accreditor and entry requirement for every program, see accredited MRI tech certification programs.

Program Path Credential Length Prior X-ray? Format Published cost
Tesla MR Online coursework, clinicals near you
MRI direct
Certificate (ARMRIT exam eligibility)ARMRIT
12 to 18 months
No
Hybrid: online lectures, in-person clinicals
$11,500 to $13,400 by payment plan
Saint Louis University (B.S. in Magnetic Resonance Imaging) St. Louis, MO JRCERT accredited (eight-year award). Second bachelor's degree option listed. Apply by Dec. 1 for priority merit scholarship consideration.
MRI direct
Bachelor of Science in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (137 to 140 credits)ARRT (MR)
Four years, full-time
No
On campus, with approximately 1,000 hours of clinical practicum in the St. Louis metropolitan area
Undergraduate tuition $58,960 per year plus $1,000 university fees (academic year not stated on page)
St. Louis Community College (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Certificate of Proficiency) Wildwood, MO Requires an associate degree or higher plus prerequisite courses with 3.0 math/science GPA. Not yet JRCERT accredited; school states an application will be submitted. Offered entirely at the Wildwood campus.
MRI direct
Certificate of Proficiency in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (42 credit hours)ARRT (MR)
42 credit hours; academic plan runs fall, spring, summer, then a second fall
No
In person: classroom instruction with clinical experience in MRI departments at partner health care facilities
$127 per credit hour for district residents (academic year not stated on page)
Ozarks Technical Community College (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Certificate) Springfield, MO Two tracks: primary pathway for applicants with an associate or bachelor's degree in any field (prerequisites plus 8 hours job shadowing), and post-primary for current imaging registrants. ARRT-approved program #3587. 2.75 GPA; top 20 applicants offered seats. Deadlines Nov. 15 (January start) and July 1 (August start).
MRI direct
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Certificate (32 credit hours)ARRT (MR)
Not stated (online courses in 8-week blocks, 1 to 2 didactic classes per semester alongside clinicals)
No
All courses online through Canvas; clinicals in person at assigned sites, 18 to 24 hours per week
Not published
Missouri Southern State University (Undergraduate Certificate in Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Joplin, MO Page requires an earned associate degree before starting and does not state that an imaging registry is required. Eligible students include transfer students, MSSU radiology students, and working professionals. New cohorts begin each fall.
MRI direct
Undergraduate Certificate in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (24 credit hours)Not stated
As little as two semesters
No
Full-time online coursework with clinical experience at an approved facility
Not published
University of Missouri (Advanced Medical Imaging certificate, MRI) Columbia, MO Applicants must be registered by ARRT, ARDMS, and/or NMTCB. School recommends applying before June 1. Page refers to Mizzou Online for tuition and fees.
MRI after X-ray
MRI certificate coursework: Sectional Anatomy (3 credits) and MRI Physics and Procedures (6 credits), optional externship (3 credits)ARRT (MR) post-primary
Two semesters: starts in fall (Sectional Anatomy), MRI course offered each spring
Yes
All didactic courses online; externship optional
Not published
Washburn University (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Certificate) Topeka, KS Neighboring-state option for the Kansas City side. Requires current registration in radiography, radiation therapy, sonography, or nuclear medicine, or enrollment in an imaging program. No more than 20 students each fall. Apply through May 31.
MRI after X-ray
Certificate in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (22 credit hours)ARRT (MR) post-primary
Less than a year; school states 90% of students complete in one year
Yes
All courses online; clinicals at a facility near the student, 24 hours per week in fall and spring
Not published
Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley (Radiologic Technology A.A.S.) Kansas City, MO JRCERT accredited. Application deadline February 15; one cohort accepted each spring, starting in the summer semester. Out-of-district $246 and out-of-state $332 per credit hour.
X-ray first
A.A.S. in Radiologic Technology (76 credit hours)ARRT (R)
76 credit hours; length in months not stated on page
No
In person with clinical education
In-district tuition $126 per credit hour, $9,576; total approximate in-district program cost $11,706 (subject to change, academic year not stated)
St. Louis Community College (Radiologic Technology A.A.S.) St. Louis, MO JRCERT accredited. Offered at the Forest Park and Florissant Valley campuses. Applicants must document at least eight hours of job shadowing in a hospital-based general radiology department.
X-ray first
A.A.S. in Radiologic Technology (73 credit hours)ARRT (R)
73 credit hours, full-time; length in months not stated on page
No
In person: academic coursework with clinical experience
$127 per credit hour for district residents (academic year not stated on page)

Verified against each program's own website between Sep 18, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026. Tuition, length, and admission rules change; the school's page is the authority. Tesla MR is not a degree-granting institution and does not participate in federal financial aid. See accreditation. The schools named here are not affiliated with Tesla MR and do not endorse it; their names belong to their owners. Spot an error? Email info@teslamr.com and we will review it within 10 business days.

The path

How to become an MRI tech in Missouri

Five steps, the same in Missouri as anywhere else. Where you do step four is what changes by city.

  1. Confirm you are eligible

    A high school diploma or GED is the floor. You do not need a prior X-ray, radiography, or healthcare credential for the ARMRIT route. Some of the in-person programs in the table above do require one.

  2. Pick the credential you are aiming for

    Employers in Missouri hire both ARRT (MR) and ARMRIT technologists. ARRT usually means a two-year degree or a prior radiography license. ARMRIT is the certificate route for career changers.

  3. Choose a program format that fits your life

    Full-time campus programs are faster if you can stop working. Hybrid programs put the coursework online and the clinical hours at a facility near you, which is how most working adults finish.

  4. Complete supervised clinical hours

    Every path ends at a scanner. Clinical training is the part that depends on local capacity, so ask any program how placement works before you enroll. Ours is explained below.

  5. Pass the registry exam and get hired

    Missouri does not license MRI technologists. Employers require ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification. Once certified, you can apply to the hospital systems and imaging groups listed further down this page.

Where you would train and work

MRI employers in Missouri, and which ones are in our clinical network

Tesla MR has 25 affiliated clinical sites in Missouri. An affiliated site is a facility in our clinical network where students can be placed. The others are places MRI techs work in Missouri that we have not affiliated with yet.

Affiliated site Employer, not yet affiliated

SSM Health

Affiliated site
  • SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital St. Louis, MO
  • SSM Health DePaul Hospital Bridgeton, MO
  • SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital St. Louis, MO
  • SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton Fenton, MO
  • SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital St Charles, MO
  • SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital - Lake Saint Louis Lake Saint Louis, MO
  • +3 more locations

Rayus Radiology

Affiliated site
  • Bridgeton (SSM Health) Bridgeton, MO
  • Chesterfield Chesterfield, MO
  • Creve Coeur (Open Upright MRI) Creve Coeur, MO
  • Ellisville Ellisville, MO
  • Frontenac Frontenac, MO
  • O'Fallon - WingHaven O'Fallon, MO
  • +2 more locations

University of Missouri Healthcare

Affiliated site
  • Capital Region Medical Center Jefferson City, MO
  • Children's Hospital Columbia, MO
  • Keene Street Medical Center Columbia, MO
  • Missouri Orthopaedic Institute Columbia, MO
  • Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building Columbia, MO
  • University Hospital - MU Healthcare Columbia, MO
  • +1 more locations

The University of Kansas Health System

Affiliated site
  • Sports Medicine and Performance Center: Arrowhead Kansas City, MO

BJC Healthcare

Employer, not yet affiliated
  • Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis, MO
  • Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City Kansas City, MO

Cape Radiology

Employer, not yet affiliated
  • Rolla Rolla, MO

CMH

Employer, not yet affiliated
  • Citizens Memorial Hospital Bolivar, MO

Diagnostic Imaging Centers

Employer, not yet affiliated
  • Diagnostic Imaging Centers Kansas City, MO

Plus 10 more imaging groups in the area.

Pulled from Tesla MR's site database on October 9, 2026. Affiliations are added and change over time; the assessment you receive during admissions is the one that applies to you.

Clinical placement

How clinical placement works

Our Clinical Sites team leads placement. You are not expected to find or negotiate your own clinical site. We look for a facility within a reasonable commute of your home and widen the search only if we need to.

Timing depends on facilities having capacity when you reach clinicals. If your area is thin, we tell you during admissions, not after you enroll, and we talk through the options with you.

Established network · Missouri

We have 25 affiliated sites in Missouri. Most students here are placed within that network, and the site team adds facilities as students need them.

  1. We look at your area during admissions

    If you already have a facility in mind, maybe where you work, we reach out and see whether you can train there. If not, our site team maps the hospitals and imaging centers near your home and starts the conversation.

  2. You get a straight answer before you enroll

    Clinicals are still months away at this point, so a site's answer is usually "we expect so, check back closer to the date." We tell you what we heard and what it means for your timeline.

  3. You start the coursework while the site work continues

    Most students begin Phase I and Phase II before a specific facility is named. That is normal, and the site team keeps working your area in the background.

  4. Your site is confirmed as clinicals approach

    Once clinicals are weeks away rather than months, facilities can commit to dates. We work to have your placement set before Phase III begins. Which facility and which shift depends on who has capacity at that time.

MRI technologist licensing in Missouri

Missouri does not license MRI technologists. The Missouri Radiation Control Program (Department of Health and Senior Services) states that Missouri has no statewide licensure requirement for x-ray operators and that no such license exists, with narrow exceptions for mammography and Medicare-certified portable x-ray operators; credentialing standards such as ARRT registration are set by individual facilities.

Employers set the credential requirement. Most postings ask for ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT, the two national MRI certifications, and both are valid in all 50 states.

💡

Key Takeaway

Missouri does not license MRI technologists. Employers require ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification.

MRI technologist salary in Missouri

BLS reports a May 2025 median of $83,110 for MRI technologists in Missouri, with about 1,040 employed statewide (BLS OEWS, state estimates). The national median is $95,480. For comparison, Missouri radiologic technologists, which includes X-ray and CT, have a median of $73,080.

Entry-level pay sits below the median. Shift differentials, specialty work such as cardiac or breast MRI, and 3 to 5 years of experience push experienced technologists above it. See the MRI technologist salary guide and salary by state for the full breakdown.

Where MRI techs work in Missouri

Major healthcare employers in Missouri include BJC HealthCare, Mercy Health, SSM Health, HCA Midwest Health, University of Missouri Health Care, CoxHealth. These systems operate hospitals, outpatient imaging centers, and specialty clinics across the state.

Missouri’s MRI market is anchored by two major metro areas: St. Louis, home to BJC HealthCare (which includes Barnes-Jewish Hospital, consistently ranked among the nation’s top hospitals) and Washington University School of Medicine, and Kansas City, where HCA Midwest and Saint Luke’s Health System are major employers. The state’s central location makes it a natural hub for regional healthcare delivery. Missouri’s moderate cost of living and the absence of a dominant single employer creates a competitive hiring environment where MRI technologists can negotiate effectively between multiple systems.

MRI programs by city in Missouri

Looking for MRI training in a specific Missouri city? See our detailed guides:

More resources

ARMRIT Accredited Nationally recognized certification
334+ Clinical Sites Partner network in 38 states
Starting at $11,500 Payment plans available

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the path. The X-ray-first route is a 2-year radiography degree followed by an MRI certificate, often about another year. 4 of the Missouri programs in the table above take students with no imaging credential; their lengths are listed in the Length column. Tesla MR's hybrid certificate takes most students 12 to 18 months.

BLS does not break CT out separately; it reports radiologic technologists and technicians, which includes X-ray and CT, at a Missouri median of $73,080 versus $83,110 for MRI technologists (May 2025). Nationally the figures are $80,110 and $95,480. MRI is the higher-paid modality in both sets of numbers.

The coursework is real: MRI physics, cross-sectional anatomy, pulse sequences, and safety around a magnet that is always on. Most students who put in steady weekly hours pass. In Missouri the harder part is often getting a seat, since campus MRI cohorts are small and most admit once a year. Every path ends with a national registry exam, ARRT or ARMRIT.

Yes. Saint Louis University (B.S. in Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and Tesla MR's hybrid certificate both accept students with no prior imaging credential. The post-primary certificates in the table require an existing ARRT, ARDMS, or NMTCB registry, so check the prior X-ray column before you apply anywhere.

Our Clinical Sites team leads placement. You are not expected to secure your own site. If you know a facility, you can propose it, but we review it, confirm capacity, sign the agreement, and approve it. The affiliated Missouri health systems are listed on this page.

MRI tech schools in nearby cities and states

Columbia, Missouri4+Kansas City, Missouri7+St. Louis, Missouri12IllinoisIowaKansasKentuckyNebraskaOklahomaTennessee
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MRI Training in Missouri 12-18 months · No prerequisites
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