Mid-America College of Funeral Service

About Mid-America College of Funeral Service

Mid-America College of Funeral Service is a narrowly focused institution for students preparing to work in funeral service. It is located at 3111 Hamburg Pike in Jeffersonville and is part of the nonprofit Pierce Mortuary Colleges organization. Its history incorporates the Indiana College of Mortuary Science, established in 1905, and the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science, established in 1895. The Mid-America name was adopted in 1979, and the consolidated college moved to Jeffersonville in 1980. The college is currently authorized by the Indiana Board for Proprietary Education. ABFSE’s current directory lists both the institution and its Associate of Applied Science degree as accredited, records a return to good standing in April 2025, and identifies 2028 as the next comprehensive review. This status matters because funeral-service education is tied closely to professional licensing. The key enrollment distinction for 2026–2027 is that only the Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service is open to new students. Bachelor’s degrees, the former associate curriculum, and the Funeral Director Certificate appear in the catalog solely as teach-out programs for previously enrolled students. The college therefore suits applicants seeking focused undergraduate preparation rather than a broad selection of majors. Its national, profession-specific accreditation should not be confused with regional accreditation; the catalog cautions that other institutions decide whether to accept its credits or credentials.

Applicants to the program open in 2026–2027 must have completed high school or an accepted equivalent. The catalog requires an online application, a nonrefundable $50 application fee, electronic enrollment documents, and an official high-school transcript or GED documentation sent by the certifying source. After all required material is received, the admissions office processes the file and issues a decision; missing documents may delay approval. The college recommends applying well before the intended enrollment date, but the current catalog does not establish a universal rolling-admission policy or publish a single annual deadline. Because teaching is organized in quarters, applicants should obtain the applicable start date and document deadline directly from admissions rather than relying on a past term announcement. Transfer credit may be considered under the college’s policy, and qualifying Advanced Placement examination scores of 3 or above can result in credit for specified general-education courses. Applicants should request an individual evaluation and remember that the college’s own credits may not transfer freely to regionally accredited institutions. International applicants face a decisive restriction: the 2026–2027 catalog states that Mid-America is not approved through SEVIS to accept international students. All applicants should also consult the licensing board in the state where they intend to practice. State rules may impose education, examination, internship, background-check, or other requirements beyond college admission and graduation.

The open-entry academic offering for 2026–2027 is the Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service. The catalog describes an eleven-week quarter structure and a curriculum combining theory with applied preparation for licensure and employment. Subject areas include embalming, restorative art, funeral directing, funeral-service management, merchandising, law, ethics, grief-related studies, anatomy, pathology, microbiology, chemistry, psychology, sociology, communication, and business. Hands-on requirements are central rather than optional additions. The catalog identifies clinical embalming, restorative-art laboratory work, and a funeral-director practicum among the graduation requirements. Students must complete the program with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and passing grades in all required courses. The college also encourages graduates to take the National Board Examination promptly when it is relevant to their state’s licensing process. ABFSE reports that the accredited associate degree permits distance education and part-time study. Students should nevertheless verify how laboratories, clinical activities, and practicums will be completed from their location. The institution offers online and on-campus support, while class visits to crematories, cemeteries, and funeral-merchandise manufacturers are described specifically for on-campus students. Several programs still listed in the catalog are teach-outs and are not choices for new applicants. These include bachelor’s programs, a previous associate curriculum, and the Funeral Director Certificate. The catalog also warns that Mid-America is not regionally accredited, so transferring its credits elsewhere is subject to the receiving institution’s judgment.

Key Highlights

• Indiana-authorized institution operating in Jeffersonville in 2026
• Institution and Associate of Applied Science degree are accredited by ABFSE
• Only the Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service is open to new enrollment in 2026–2027
• Member of the nonprofit Pierce Mortuary Colleges organization

Student Life & Environment

Student life at Mid-America is organized around a small, career-specific college rather than a broad residential-university experience. The 2026–2027 catalog describes an approximately 11,000-square-foot facility containing classrooms, a restorative-art laboratory, a library, student lounge, and faculty and administrative offices. The library emphasizes funeral-service references, journals, and professional literature. Academic support is available both on campus and remotely. Enrolled students may use free tutoring for general education and funeral-service courses, including round-the-clock online general-education tutoring through Tutor.com. The college also provides Microsoft 365 services and academic advising. Disability accommodations are coordinated through the college, with separate contact routes for applicants and enrolled students. Professional engagement is a prominent part of the experience. On-campus students may visit manufacturers, crematories, and cemeteries in the Jeffersonville–Louisville area, while guest speakers address subjects connected to the profession. Student-developed activities and community service are encouraged, although the official material does not present a large roster of standing clubs or varsity athletics. The college does not document institution-operated housing in the reviewed current sources. Students planning to relocate should ask admissions about local housing guidance, transportation, and the practical demands of clinical placements before enrolling.

Location & Surroundings

The college is in Jeffersonville, Indiana, immediately north of Louisville, Kentucky, within the Louisville metropolitan area. This location places students near funeral homes and related businesses on both sides of the Ohio River. The college specifically uses nearby crematories, cemeteries, and funeral-merchandise manufacturers for educational visits involving on-campus students. Jeffersonville provides access to apartments, shopping, dining, parks, golf, and river-oriented recreation. Louisville expands the range of cultural and leisure options, including performing-arts venues, museums, historic districts, major events, and a larger regional employment market. These amenities are community resources rather than college-operated facilities. The campus address is 3111 Hamburg Pike, outside Jeffersonville’s riverfront downtown. Prospective students should evaluate commuting arrangements carefully, particularly if they expect to work while studying or must travel to practicum and clinical sites. The official sources reviewed do not identify a college shuttle or campus housing. Online students should also confirm where each required laboratory, clinical, and practicum component can be completed, because professional preparation cannot be understood as wholly location-independent.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The college charges tuition by quarter credit hour rather than publishing one universal annual price for every student. Its current tuition page gives a rate for students enrolling or reenrolling from July 2026, but that pricing basis is not directly comparable with the database’s supplied annual tuition figure. Students should request a personalized program budget based on their planned credit load and start date. A nonrefundable $50 application fee applies, and textbook or course-material charges vary with enrollment load. The associate program also carries a laboratory, practicum, and supply charge identified in the 2026–2027 catalog. The latest detailed cost-of-attendance budget visible on the tuition page applies to 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, so it should not be treated as a 2026–2027 estimate. Students should obtain an updated budget covering tuition, materials, housing, transportation, personal expenses, and any travel connected with clinical work. Federal aid guidance, scholarships, loans, veterans’ benefits, and installment-plan assistance are available through the college, but it does not participate in Federal Work-Study. Career support includes a job board, employer connections, and assistance for current students, graduates, and alumni. The college explicitly states that employment remains the graduate’s responsibility and is not guaranteed. Licensing is also state-specific, and the degree alone may not satisfy every jurisdiction. ABFSE’s 2025 data report 86% overall employment and 80% employment in funeral service for the reported graduate group, but applicants should review the definitions and cohort information before comparing those outcomes with other schools.