by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Funeral Direction/Service covers Funeral Direction/service. A Program That Prepares Individuals For Professional Licensure As Funeral Directors And As Managers Of Funeral Homes, Cemeteries, And Related Services. Includes Instruction In The Sociology Of Death And Dying, Psychology Of Grief And Grief Counseling, History Of Funeral Service, Funeral Direction, Business Law, Funeral Service Law, Funeral Home Management, Accounting And Related Computer Operations, And Funeral Services Marketing And Merchandising. Continue reading for the key facts every funeral direction/service major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering funeral direction/service programs.
Across the country, funeral direction/service is a widely-pursued major, with 252 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Funeral Direction/Service Schools ranking analyzes these 12 schools to determine the best overall colleges for funeral direction/service students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of funeral direction/service programs later in this article.
Coursework for Funeral Direction/Service build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations funeral direction/service graduates commonly enter.
Skills emphasized by a funeral direction/service program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a funeral direction/service major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several funeral direction/service degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 53 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 45 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 80 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 74 |
People currently working in careers related to funeral direction/service tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 64.6% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 19.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 7.5% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 5.4% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.0% |
| Some college courses | 1.4% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in funeral direction/service careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying funeral direction/service prepares you for many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to funeral direction/service.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to funeral direction/service.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | 369,233 | -0.1% |
| Funeral Home Managers | 213,374 | -0.7% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of funeral direction/service graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $44,303 |
| 4 years | $46,034 |
| 5 years | $51,822 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for funeral direction/service graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers funeral direction/service grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Funeral Home Managers | $179,553 |
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | $58,312 |
With 12 different funeral direction/service programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased funeral direction/service school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in funeral direction/service, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, General | 2,332 |
| Mortuary Science and Embalming/Embalmer | 64 |
| Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, Other | 28 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
