Best institutions to study Direct Entry Midwifery
A program that prepares individuals to provide pre-natal, natural birth, and immediate postpartum care to pregnant women in jurisdictions licensing direct (non-nursing) training for midwives.
4 U.S. institutions graduated 69 Direct Entry Midwifery students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 51.3401, a specialization of Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services (CIP 51.34), and leads most directly to the Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other occupation (BLS SOC 29-1299).
About Direct Entry Midwifery programs
A program that prepares individuals to provide pre-natal, natural birth, and immediate postpartum care to pregnant women in jurisdictions licensing direct (non-nursing) training for midwives. Includes instruction in basic obstetrics, women's health, fetal development, childbirth education, maternal nutrition and health, labor support, natural childbirth, postpartum support, prebirth counseling and risk screening, management of obstetric emergencies, patient referral, applicable regulations, and professional standards and ethics.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Direct Entry Midwifery program prepares individuals to provide comprehensive care to pregnant women, focusing on pre-natal, natural birth, and immediate postpartum support. This program is designed for those interested in pursuing a career as a midwife in jurisdictions that allow direct (non-nursing) training for midwives.
Students will gain knowledge in basic obstetrics, women's health, fetal development, childbirth education, maternal nutrition, labor support, and management of obstetric emergencies. The curriculum also covers professional standards, ethics, and applicable regulations.
Credentials awarded
What Direct Entry Midwifery graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Bachelor's degree34 graduates / yr · 1 institution49%
- Associate's degree19 graduates / yr · 1 institution28%
- Master's degree9 graduates / yr · 1 institution13%
- Award of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years7 graduates / yr · 1 institution10%
Graduates over time
Direct Entry Midwifery completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 72 |
| 2013 | 71 |
| 2014 | 86 |
| 2015 | 76 |
| 2016 | 92 |
| 2017 | 76 |
| 2018 | 81 |
| 2019 | 76 |
| 2020 | 72 |
| 2021 | 89 |
| 2022 | 60 |
| 2023 | 66 |
| 2024 | 74 |
| 2025 | 69 |
Top 4 institutions for Direct Entry Midwifery, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midwives College of Utah Salt Lake City, UTPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 34 | 40% | $26,463 |
| 2 | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Fennimore, WIPublicAssociate's | 19 | 66% | — |
| 3 | Bastyr University Kenmore, WAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 9 | — | — |
| 4 | Florida School of Traditional Midwifery Gainesville, FLPrivate not-for-profitAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years | 7 | — | — |
Offered in 4 states
Where Direct Entry Midwifery graduates come from. Each state links to all Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 1 | 34 | Midwives College of Utah34 / yr |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 19 | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College19 / yr |
| Washington | 1 | 9 | Bastyr University9 / yr |
| Florida | 1 | 7 | Florida School of Traditional Midwifery7 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 29-1299, Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Direct Entry Midwifery program can pursue careers as healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners. The job outlook is about as fast as average, with an expected growth rate of 2.0% and approximately 2,400 annual openings. The median wage for this field is $113,730, typically requiring a Master's degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 51.3401
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Otherprimary SOC 29-1299 | $115,210 | +2.0% About as fast as average | ~2,400 | Master's degree |
Related careers
Other Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services specializations
The 1 other 6-digit CIP codes under Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services (CIP 51.34).
Common questions
What is Direct Entry Midwifery?+
It is a program that trains individuals to provide care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.
What degrees can I earn in this program?+
You can earn a Bachelor's degree, Associate's degree, Master's degree, or an award of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years.
What are the job prospects for midwives?+
The job outlook is about as fast as average, with 2,400 annual openings expected.
What is the median wage for midwives?+
The median wage for midwives is $113,730.
What is the CIP code for Direct Entry Midwifery?+
Direct Entry Midwifery is CIP 51.3401 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services (CIP 51.34). NCES defines it as: A program that prepares individuals to provide pre-natal, natural birth, and immediate postpartum care to pregnant women in jurisdictions licensing direct (non-nursing) training for midwives. Includes instruction in basic obstetrics, women's health, fetal development, childbirth education, maternal nutrition and health, labor support, natural childbirth, postpartum support, prebirth counseling and risk screening, management of obstetric emergencies, patient referral, applicable regulations, and professional standards and ethics.
How many institutions offer Direct Entry Midwifery programs?+
4 U.S. institutions reported Direct Entry Midwifery graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 4 states, awarding 69 credentials in the year. That is 70.4% of all Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services graduates.
How much do Direct Entry Midwifery graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other occupation, which Direct Entry Midwifery most directly leads to, pays a median of $115,210 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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