Funeral Service and Mortuary Science: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 24 reporting college programs.
−$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.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
Observed national outcomes
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $56,401
- Federal debt
- $23,668
- Reporting programs
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $53,579
- Federal debt
- $20,000
- Reporting programs
- 24
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,579
- Federal debt
- $25,416
- Reporting programs
- 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.
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$54,352Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northampton County Area Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Bethlehem, PA | $68,311 | $18,500 | +104% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Goodwin UniversityAssociate's Degree | East Hartford, CT | $67,154 | $29,243 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | Worsham College of Mortuary ScienceAssociate's Degree | Wheeling, IL | $62,143 | $15,333 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | FINE Mortuary CollegeAssociate's Degree | Norwood, MA | $61,927 | $34,677 | +17% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral ServiceAssociate's Degree | New York, NY | $60,648 | $28,400 | +15% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Vincennes UniversityAssociate's Degree | Vincennes, IN | $58,206 | $15,625 | +17% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science IncAssociate's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $55,158 | $21,812 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 8 | John A Gupton CollegeAssociate's Degree | Nashville, TN | $54,828 | $17,257 | -24% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Arapahoe Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Littleton, CO | $54,411 | $22,675 | -17% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Eastwick College-HackensackAssociate's Degree | Hackensack, NJ | $54,352 | Not available | -38% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Commonwealth Institute of Funeral ServiceAssociate's Degree | Houston, TX | $54,162 | $11,625 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceAssociate's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $53,849 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 13 | Kansas City Kansas Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Kansas City, KS | $53,309 | Not available | -33% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Tidewater Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Norfolk, VA | $52,870 | Not available | -31% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Dallas Institute of Funeral ServiceAssociate's Degree | Dallas, TX | $52,516 | $20,000 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Carl Sandburg CollegeAssociate's Degree | Galesburg, IL | $52,074 | Not available | -27% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Nassau Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Garden City, NY | $51,433 | $11,942 | -38% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Piedmont Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Greenwood, SC | $50,530 | Not available | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Ivy Tech Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Indianapolis, IN | $50,193 | $13,219 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Gupton Jones College of Funeral ServiceAssociate's Degree | Decatur, GA | $49,039 | $20,000 | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fayetteville, NC | $47,405 | $21,719 | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Mid-America College of Funeral ServiceAssociate's Degree | Jeffersonville, IN | $45,380 | $20,437 | -97% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Chandler-Gilbert Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Chandler, AZ | $44,886 | $9,682 | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | St Petersburg CollegeAssociate's Degree | St. Petersburg, FL | $43,598 | $22,898 | -115% | Negative payoff |
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.