Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science

Key Highlights

• Specialized private nonprofit college governed by the Cincinnati Foundation for Mortuary Education
• Founded in 1882 and operating under its current name since 1966
• Offers an Associate of Applied Science and a Bachelor of Mortuary Science
• Institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission

Student Life & Environment

Student life at CCMS is organized around small professional cohorts and an intensive, year-round curriculum rather than a broad residential-university model. Campus resources include classrooms, a student lounge, a theater-style auditorium, specialized laboratories, and a mortuary-science library. The library provides print holdings, computers, printing, textbook borrowing, and electronic research resources through the college’s learning system. CCMS does not provide on-campus housing. Students must arrange apartments, roommates, or other accommodation independently. The college supplies relocation links and directs students to a cohort social-media group for roommate connections, but it does not endorse the listed housing providers. Some students may explore working and living at a funeral home, depending on employer availability and individual circumstances. The professional environment creates opportunities to build practical experience. Qualified enrolled students may apply for paid clinical lab or intake-assistant roles, and the college maintains employment information and a job board. Campus activities appear limited compared with those at a comprehensive university, although the college recognizes strong academic performance and provides student-focused events and resources. Prospective students should weigh the close occupational focus and accelerated schedule against their preferences for residence halls, extensive clubs, athletics, or a conventional undergraduate social experience.

Location & Surroundings

CCMS is located at 645 West North Bend Road in Cincinnati, near the Finneytown area. The college describes the privately owned campus as occupying 16 acres with access to Interstates 75 and 275. Its current instructional building was constructed in 1995 for funeral-service education and contains classrooms, a lecture auditorium, student space, and dedicated clinical facilities. A later Educational Cremation Center expanded the practical-training environment. The setting is separate from Cincinnati’s central urban campuses, so students should evaluate commuting and housing logistics carefully. Because CCMS has no residence halls, location decisions may involve rent, transportation, parking, and travel to clinical or employment sites. The college provides housing-search and relocation resources but does not guarantee or endorse accommodations. Cincinnati offers the services and cultural amenities of a major metropolitan area, including museums, parks, professional sports, and entertainment. For applicants visiting from outside the region, CCMS offers individual tours and scheduled information events, including virtual options. A visit can be particularly useful for assessing the specialized laboratories, neighborhood, commute, and nonresidential format.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For students entering in fall 2026 or spring 2027, CCMS lists total tuition and fees of $34,149 for the Bachelor of Mortuary Science and $26,088 for the Associate of Applied Science. Textbooks are excluded. These figures cover the CCMS professional programs, not the cost of prerequisite credits earned elsewhere, housing, transportation, living expenses, or every possible licensing-related expense. Rates are subject to trustee-approved change, so students should use the applicable semester schedule and request a personalized aid estimate. Students can use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to seek eligible federal and state assistance; CCMS identifies federal school code 010906. The college also provides financial-aid and scholarship information. Borrowing decisions should account for the accelerated year-round schedule and the absence of college housing, as living costs must be arranged independently. The curriculum is directed toward regulated funeral-service work, including preparation for the National Board Examination. State requirements vary, and graduates may still need examinations, registration, apprenticeship, or other state-specific steps. CCMS reported that among first-time test takers within one year of graduation in 2024, its National Board pass rates were 87% for Arts and 88% for Sciences. Its published 2024 program information reported 95% overall employment and 61% employed in funeral service, using the institution’s stated eligibility methodology. These historical outcomes are useful context, not guarantees for an individual graduate. The college maintains career and job-placement resources for students and alumni.