CDL Schools USA Index  /  Missouri  /  Kansas City

Best CDL Schools in Kansas City (2026)

An independent, government-verified ranking of 31 CDL training schools across the Kansas City metro — scored on FMCSA verification, funding access, reputation, and the program factors students actually search for.
◆ The answer

The top-ranked CDL school in Kansas City is Apex CDL Institute — FMCSA ELDT-verified, rated 3.7★ by students. Of 31 schools indexed, 19 are verified against the federal FMCSA Training Provider Registry, 0 accept WIOA workforce funding, and 1 are approved for VA / GI Bill benefits. Verified tuition runs $0–$0.

Live · FMCSA + WIOA + VA + Yelp · as of 2026-07-29 · reproducible methodology below
Schools indexed
31
FMCSA verified
19 (61%)
WIOA-funded
0
VA / GI Bill
1
Onsite testing
0
Avg rating
3.7★
Find your school by what matters to you

$0 tuition possible

WIOA workforce-funded
  1. none yet

For veterans

VA / GI Bill approved
  1. Apex CDL Institute GI Bill ✓

Highest rated

by real students
  1. Apex CDL Institute 3.7★ (3)

Trains on manual

avoid the auto-only restriction
  1. none yet

Second chance

record-friendly · school-stated
  1. none yet
Full index ranking · Kansas City
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Government (50) Reputation (22) Student factors (20) Transparency (8)
#TierSchool & contactVerified badgesRatingScore ▾
1 B Apex CDL Institute
Kansas City
+1 913-585-1120
✓ FMCSAWIOA✓ VAOnsite testendo?
 3.7★ (3)
data 36%53.4
2 C ARES CDL INSTITUTE
Kansas City
+1 913-526-1126
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
3 C Huddleston Machinery Moving, Inc.
Kansas City
+1 816-231-4147
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
4 C Wilson's industries LLC
Raytown
+1 816-379-1111
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
5 C Empire Trucking Academy
Raytown
+1 816-594-6199
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
6 C Zeta Commercial Driving School
Kansas City
+1 405-938-2235
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
7 C Love All Transport And Delivery LLC
Kansas City
+1 913-296-1241
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
8 C CDL Pros
Independence
+1 816-918-5620
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
9 C DLTS
Leawood
+1 913-568-5873
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
10 C Kingdom Trucking Academy LLC.
Overland Park
+1 816-200-1139
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
11 C MCC - Blue River Campus
Independence
+1 816-604-1000
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
12 C Fort Osage School District
Independence
+1 816-650-7200
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
13 C Zeta Driving School
Lenexa
+1 405-938-2235
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
14 C Empowering Empires LLC
Leavenworth
+1 816-594-6199
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
15 C JCCC
Gardner
+1 913-469-2323
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
16 C CDL Quick Training, LLC
St. Joseph
+1 816-689-8608
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%34.7
17 C 160 Driving Academy
Independence
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%33.2
18 C 160 Driving Academy - Kansas City MO
Kansas City
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%33.2
19 C 20Twenty Training Center
Kansas City
✓ FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 9%33.2
20 E Swift Driving Academy KC
Kansas City
+1 804-956-6860
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
21 E Grain Valley R-5 Schools
Grain Valley
+1 816-847-5004
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
22 E MO-KAN Teamsters Apprenticeship & Training Fund
Oak Grove
+1 816-710-8990
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
23 E Eudora Schools USD #491
Eudora
+1 785-542-4900
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
24 E USD 416 Louisburg Public Schools
Louisburg
+1 913-837-1961
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
25 E McLouth School Dist#342
McLouth
+1 913-796-2201
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
26 E East Lynne School
East Lynne
+1 816-925-2380
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
27 E Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center
Lawrence
+1 785-856-1801
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
28 E Kansas Central School Bus - Paola
Paola
+1 815-409-4000
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
29 E Roys eldt training
Lexington
+1 816-405-1007
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
30 E Atchison Public Schools
Atchison
+1 913-367-6382
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
31 E American CDL Training LLC
St Joseph
+1 660-254-2541
FMCSAWIOAVAOnsite testendo?
 unrated
data 0%9.5
Explore more

Other Missouri metros

St. Louis (34 schools)

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All CDL school rankings

Browse all 46 U.S. metros →Verify a school (FMCSA TPR)CDL requirementsFinancial aid & WIOA
Questions students ask
What is the best CDL school in ${MET}?
By our composite index, Apex CDL Institute ranks first — FMCSA-verified and 3.7★-rated. Rankings weight federal verification, funding access, reputation, and program fit.
Which Houston CDL schools accept WIOA funding?
0 indexed schools are on the Texas ETPL and accept WIOA workforce grants, including .
Which Houston CDL schools are VA / GI Bill approved?
1 are VA-approved for veterans, including Apex CDL Institute. Verified against the VA GI Bill Comparison Tool.
Are these schools FMCSA-approved?
19 of 31 (61%) are verified on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry — required to legally train CDL drivers. Schools on the FMCSA removed list are excluded.
How is the ranking calculated?
A 100-point weighted composite: government verification 50, reputation 22, student-fit factors 20, transparency 8. Full weights and sources are published on the page. Pass-rate and placement claims are never scored.
How current is this ranking?
Refreshed quarterly from live government and review sources. This snapshot is as of 2026-07-29.
Methodology · Cited · Reproducible The CDL Schools USA Index — 100-point weighted composite. Legitimacy-weighted, because ELDT registration is federally required to train CDL drivers.
Government Trust Spine · 50 — FMCSA ELDT 25 · clean standing 8 · WIOA 7 · VA GI Bill 6 · onsite testing 4
Reputation · 22 — rating 14 · review volume 5 · sentiment 3
Student factors · 20 — manual 4 · endorsements 5 · placement 4 · financing 3 · lodging 2 · type 2
Transparency · 8 — verified contact 3 · claimed 3 · completeness 2
Sources: FMCSA Training Provider Registry · state WIOA/ETPL lists · VA GI Bill · Yelp. Pass-rate & placement claims are shown as context only, never scored (FTC fabrication risk). Coverage: 31 schools within 50 mi of Kansas City; average data completeness 6% and rising as collection continues. Refreshed quarterly.
Cite this ranking: “CDL Schools USA Index — Kansas City (2026),” CDL Schools USA, as of 2026-07-29. Underlying data available on request.
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