BACHELOR'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1203

Funeral Service and Mortuary Science: is this bachelor's degree worth it?

National picture across 6 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$87,620 over 10 years

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

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

15.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−35%Modeled 10-year ROI
$61,579Observed earnings · year 4
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$61,579Median reported earnings · year 4
$57,989Average reported earnings · year 5
$25,416Median federal debt
49thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
6Reporting programs
6With year-4 earnings
COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

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.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$56,401
Federal debt
$23,668
Reporting programs
4
4 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$53,579
Federal debt
$20,000
Reporting programs
24
24 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$61,579
Federal debt
$25,416
Reporting programs
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$54,571National median$61,57975th percentile$62,954
6 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Minnesota-Twin Cities$77,4202Mid-America College of Funeral Service$67,1723Wayne State University$62,9544Southern Illinois University-Carbondale$60,2035University of Central Oklahoma$54,5716Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science$52,985

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

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Funeral Home ManagersSOC 11-9171 · 3 crosswalk linksMorticians, Undertakers, and Funeral ArrangersSOC 39-4031 · 3 crosswalk linksCrematory OperatorsSOC 39-4012 · 2 crosswalk linksEmbalmersSOC 39-4011 · 2 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR FUNERAL SERVICE AND MORTUARY SCIENCE

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.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debt10-year ROIVerdict
1University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's DegreeMinneapolis, MN$77,420$24,875+31%Positive payoff
2Mid-America College of Funeral ServiceBachelor's DegreeJeffersonville, IN$67,172$24,203-27%Negative payoff
3Wayne State UniversityBachelor's DegreeDetroit, MI$62,954$23,648-22%Negative payoff
4Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleBachelor's DegreeCarbondale, IL$60,203$31,000-35%Negative payoff
5University of Central OklahomaBachelor's DegreeEdmond, OK$54,571$27,143-62%Negative payoff
6Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceBachelor's DegreeCincinnati, OH$52,985$25,956WithheldPrice-proxy sensitiveNot available

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.