UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 4 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$56,401 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$56,401Median year-4 earnings
$11,363Average institution net-price context
$23,668Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$56,401Typical earnings four years after completion
$44,295Average earnings five years after completion
$23,668Typical federal student debt
61thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
301Degrees awarded in 2024–25
4College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 3 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Funeral Service and Mortuary Science
How much do Funeral Service and Mortuary Science undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $56,401 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $23,668. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Funeral Service and Mortuary Science?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $16,843 to $60,198 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Funeral Service and Mortuary Science?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 4 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $56,401
- Federal debt
- $23,668
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $53,579
- Federal debt
- $20,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 24
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,579
- Federal debt
- $25,416
- Programs in the comparison
- 6
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$16,843National median$56,40175th percentile$60,198
4 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Des Moines Area Community College
$67,653 four years after completionAnkeny, IA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtWorsham College of Mortuary Science
$15,366 among completer borrowersWheeling, IL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classFayetteville Technical Community College
131 reported awards in 2024–25Fayetteville, NC · inspect the full program →Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
4 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 4 shown
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See the spread, not just the national number.
1Des Moines Area Community College$67,6532Worsham College of Mortuary Science$60,1983Fayetteville Technical Community College$52,6044Antilles School of Technical Careers$16,843Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Funeral Home Managers$78,790 median wage13,910 jobs nationwide+4.1% projected growth through 2035 · 2,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$49,700–$156,400 typical wage rangeMorticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers$55,010 median wage25,100 jobs nationwide+3.0% projected growth through 2035 · 3,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$33,350–$88,620 typical wage rangeEmbalmers$58,780 median wage3,890 jobs nationwide+0.7% projected growth through 2035 · 700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$38,310–$77,570 typical wage rangeCrematory Operators$43,650 median wage2,970 jobs nationwide+3.1% projected growth through 2035 · 500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$33,270–$62,460 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.