Arranging funeral director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an arranging funeral director. Arranging funeral directors usually study education, mortuary science, or music. 45% of arranging funeral directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 68 real arranging funeral director resumes to see exactly what arranging funeral director education sections show.

The most common colleges for arranging funeral directors are the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.

There are also many online arranging funeral director courses to help get the education required to be an arranging funeral director.

What education do you need to become an arranging funeral director?

What degree do you need to be an arranging funeral director?

The most common degree for arranging funeral directors is bachelor's degree, with 45% of arranging funeral directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 32% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 32%

Master's, 13%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an arranging funeral director?

You should major in education to become an arranging funeral director. 17% of arranging funeral directors major in education. Other common majors for an arranging funeral director include mortuary science and music.

Education, 17%

Mortuary Science, 14%

Music, 11%

Business, 9%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for arranging funeral directors

Arranging funeral directors often get their degrees at Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, Western Washington University, and Otterbein University. Here are the most common colleges for arranging funeral directors in the US based on their resumes.

Arranging funeral director common college	Percentages
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science	9.52%
Western Washington University	4.76%
Otterbein University	4.76%
New York University	4.76%
Arapahoe Community College	4.76%

Show more common arranging funeral director colleges

Best majors for arranging funeral directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Education	17.1%
2	Mortuary Science	14.3%
3	Music	11.4%
4	Business	8.6%
5	General Education, Specific Areas	5.7%

Show more common arranging funeral director majors

Best colleges for arranging funeral directors

The best colleges for arranging funeral directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

An arranging funeral director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for arranging funeral directors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become arranging funeral directors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for arranging funeral directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for arranging funeral directors

The most affordable schools for arranging funeral directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for arranging funeral directors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for arranging funeral directors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for arranging funeral directors

The hardest universities for arranging funeral directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for arranging funeral directors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for arranging funeral directors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for arranging funeral directors

The easiest schools for arranging funeral directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an arranging funeral director without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for arranging funeral directors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average arranging funeral director salary by education level

Arranging funeral directors with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $52,717 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, arranging funeral directors earn a median annual income of $51,587 compared to $42,832 for arranging funeral directors with an High School Diploma degree.

Arranging funeral director education level	Arranging funeral director salary
High School Diploma or Less	$42,832
Bachelor's Degree	$51,587
Some College/ Associate Degree	$52,717

Arranging funeral director education FAQs

What is the best college for Arranging Funeral Directors?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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