Crowder College Expands Joplin Campus with $11 Million Project

New facility doubles the space of the former campus and provides more room for hands-on learning.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Crowder College has officially opened its brand-new campus in Joplin, Missouri, which doubles the space of the former campus and provides more room for hands-on learning in programs like the operating room lab. The $11 million project, partially funded by $6 million in federal grants, also allows the college to offer more programs and expand capacity in current offerings, including the addition of an eSports facility and student game room.

Why it matters

The expansion of Crowder College's Joplin campus represents a significant investment in higher education and workforce development in the region. By providing more space and resources for hands-on, technical training programs, the college is better positioned to meet the needs of local employers and prepare students for in-demand careers.

The details

The new Crowder College campus in Joplin is about double the size of the former downtown location. This extra space has allowed the college to grow its class sizes and provide more room for practical, lab-based learning. For example, the operating room lab can now accommodate all 18 students at once, whereas the previous space was more cramped. The expansion also enables Crowder to offer new programs, like eSports, and enhance student life with amenities like a game room.

  • Crowder College officially opened its new Joplin campus on February 13, 2026.

The players

Crowder College

A public community college with multiple campuses in southwest Missouri, including the newly expanded Joplin location.

Courtney Franklin

A Crowder College student who noted the benefits of the expanded campus, including more room for hands-on learning in the operating room lab.

Chett Daniel

The president of Crowder College, who highlighted how the new campus doubles the space for advanced manufacturing, automation, robotics, and industrial maintenance programs.

Melissa Smith

The director of Crowder's Advanced Training and Workforce Center, who discussed the college's ability to offer more programs and student activities in the new facility.

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What they’re saying

“We definitely took a massive step forward with the new building. Everything is a lot more hands on, because now we have the room to fit all 18 students in the lab at one time. So, it was a huge, huge blessing and a huge step up.”

— Courtney Franklin, Crowder College Student (fourstateshomepage.com)

“We've doubled the amount of square footage that we have in our advanced manufacturing, automation, robotics, industrial maintenance. It was kind of cramped spaces before we made do with it, but there's just a lot more room to expand offerings here.”

— Chett Daniel, Crowder College President (fourstateshomepage.com)

“We're able to offer more programs and expand the capacity in those current programs but also expand within it. Adding the addition of eSports and with now we have more student activities. We have a game room. So, some of those college experiences that students didn't have before.”

— Melissa Smith, Crowder ATWC Director (fourstateshomepage.com)

What’s next

The college plans to continue expanding its program offerings and student life amenities at the new Joplin campus in the coming years.

The takeaway

Crowder College's $11 million investment in its Joplin campus represents a significant commitment to providing high-quality, hands-on technical education and training to meet the needs of the local workforce. The expanded facilities enable the college to grow its programs, enhance the student experience, and better serve the community.