Is Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science Inc Worth It?

Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science trains you for one thing: funeral service and mortuary science at the associate level. That focus shapes the entire financial picture. The starting earnings for that associate program run $37,208 a year, and median debt sits under $20,000. You finish with a specific credential tied to a specific licensed trade, and 92% of students who start actually graduate.

The gap between that $37,208 program figure and the $53,524 median earnings ten years out tells you something useful: pay in funeral service climbs with experience and licensure. Early on the money is modest, but the trajectory moves up as you build years in the field. Debt stays low enough that the early salary can cover it without drowning you.

The risk here is narrowness. This is not a school where you shop between majors. If you finish and decide funeral service isn't for you, your associate credential doesn't transfer to much else. Your return depends entirely on staying in the profession and getting licensed. The regional funeral market in and around Pittsburgh has to have room for you, since the degree points nowhere else.

This school fits you if you already want to be an embalmer, funeral director, or mortician and you want to get licensed fast with manageable debt. It's a poor fit if you're undecided or want a degree you can pivot with.

On net price, lower-income families should check the tiered figures closely, since a quarter of students here receive Pell Grants and many more get other aid. The sticker price is not what most families pay. For a two-year program with sub-$20,000 debt and a clear job at the end, the numbers hold up as long as the funeral career is the plan.