
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science traces its origins to 1882, when it began training people for work in embalming and funeral service. Its long history helps explain its narrow academic focus: it is a specialized college rather than a general-purpose university.
As funeral service education expanded beyond embalming, the institution developed coursework covering the scientific, legal, business, and human aspects of the profession. Today, applicants should evaluate it primarily as a route into funeral service and mortuary science, not as a place to explore a broad selection of unrelated majors.
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science organizes its academics around funeral service and mortuary science rather than separate colleges of arts, business, and science. Its degree offerings include an associate-level funeral service pathway and a bachelor's-level mortuary science pathway.
The curriculum brings together subjects prospective funeral directors and embalmers need to understand, including anatomy, restorative art, embalming, funeral directing, grief and bereavement, ethics, and funeral service law and management. The appropriate degree depends partly on a student's previous college coursework and the licensing rules in the state where they intend to work. Applicants should compare each program's prerequisites and course sequence before applying.
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science is in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 645 W. North Bend Road. Its location matters most as a practical commuting consideration: students should plan for travel to classes and hands-on instruction rather than assume a residential campus experience.
The college is in the northern part of Cincinnati, with access to the wider metropolitan area and its funeral service employers. Students considering public transportation should check the route and schedule against their actual class times. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport serves the region, although routine travel to campus is likely to depend more on local transportation.
The college's stated educational purpose centers on preparing students for professional practice in funeral service. Its specialized curriculum reflects an emphasis on technical competence, ethical conduct, and service to people experiencing a death.
That purpose should be read as the institution's educational aim, not as a guarantee of licensure or employment. Students comparing programs can test how it is put into practice by reviewing supervised training, professional expectations, and preparation for the licensing requirements of their intended state.
Name of the institution
Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
Under 1,000School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1882Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.