• Going to college is an ideal career move.college image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com
  
  Sedalia, Missouri, home of the Missouri State Fair and the Scott Joplin Festival, has a population of more than 20,000---many of whom want to pursue higher education at one of the local colleges. In downtown Sedalia, there is a college of cosmetology as well as a community college with an employment-oriented focus. Just 20 miles away is yet another college option---Park College---for those who can't find what they need in Sedalia.
  
  

American College of Hair Design

• At the American College of Hair Design (ACHD), students will gain a comprehensive understanding of cosmetology and be prepared for a job in the field. This college will help students pass the Missouri state board examination in cosmetology. Of the class of 2007 to graduate from the college, 95 percent passed the exam. The college is small, with 60 students enrolled during the 2006 to 2007 school year. Student grants and loans are available for students who need them. The four-day schedule featured at the ACHD makes being a full time student easier for those with jobs or families.
  
  American College of Hair Design
  125 Duke Road
  Sedalia, MO 65301
  660-827-1270
  AmericanCollegeofHairDesign.com/index.html
  
  

State Fair Community College

• State Fair Community College (SFCC) is a school of more than 3,000 students of all ages. It offers associates degrees and professional certificates in subjects ranging from accounting to education to welding. The focus of the college is serving students by offering classes that will provide, according to its mission statement, "skills, knowledge and perspectives essential for a changing world" SFCC strives to be economically feasible to all students: during the 2007 to 2008 school year, more than $12.8 million was distributed to defray the cost of tuition and fees. Students may attend the school part-time or full-time.
  
  State Fair Community College
  3201 W. 16th St
  Sedalia, Missouri 65301
  877-311-7322
  SFCCMO.edu/pages/1.asp
  
  

Park College at Whitman Air Force Base

• Although Park College at Whitman Air Force Base is not located in Sedalia proper, it is one of the nearest educational institutions to Sedalia after ACHD and SFCC. At about 20 miles away, students can easily commute from Sedalia to this branch of Park University. Park College features programs in psychology, management and administration to military members who are part of the air force base and to civilians. With diverse class times and online learning opportunities, Park College can enable students to work on their degrees even if they have a busy schedule.
  
  Park University Whiteman Campus Center
  511 Spirit Blvd, Ste 245
  Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
  660-563-2846
  Park.edu/WHIT/index.aspx