ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 24 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$39,903 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

14.7 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−32%Estimated return after 10 years
$53,579Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$53,579 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$53,579Typical earnings four years after completion
$54,619Average earnings five years after completion
$20,000Typical federal student debt
61thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
24College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Funeral Service and Mortuary Science

How much do Funeral Service and Mortuary Science associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $53,579 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $20,000. 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 $50,193 to $55,158 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.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

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.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$56,401
Federal debt
$23,668
Programs in the comparison
4
4 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$53,579
Federal debt
$20,000
Programs in the comparison
24
24 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$61,579
Federal debt
$25,416
Programs in the comparison
6
6 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$50,193National median$53,57975th percentile$55,158
24 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$55,15875th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$20,000Median federal debt across programs that report it
3Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
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

Northampton County Area Community College

$68,311 four years after completionBethlehem, PA · inspect the full program →
Lowest reported federal debt

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

$9,682 among completer borrowersChandler, AZ · inspect the full program →
Largest recent graduating class

Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service

147 reported awards in 2024–25Houston, TX · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

24 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 24 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Northampton County Area Community College$68,3112Goodwin University$67,1543Worsham College of Mortuary Science$62,1434FINE Mortuary College$61,9275American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service$60,6486Vincennes University$58,2067Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science Inc$55,1588John A Gupton College$54,8289Arapahoe Community College$54,41110Eastwick College-Hackensack$54,352

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

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

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.