Private (for-profit)

Five Branches University

Santa Cruz, California·Private for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·fivebranches.edu
Acceptance
Grad-only
—
6-yr Graduation
Grad-only
—
Total enrollment
321
peer median 129
Avg net price
Grad-only
—
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AboutProgram outcomesAccreditationFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyPeersDocuments

About

Five Branches University is a graduate school located in Santa Cruz and San Jose, California, focusing on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The institution offers various master's and doctoral programs in the field. The founding year is not explicitly mentioned.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 3 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 3 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
3
Passing
0
0.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

3programs
  • Passing0 · 0.0%
  • No Data3 · 100.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
0
No data
3

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine

Accredited since 1996Next review Aug 2025

Programmatic accreditations · 2

Action history · 1

  1. Aug 2023Approved for Distance Education
    Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, students received in Pell grants, alongside $3.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
—
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
—
null total
Direct Loans
$3.0M
117 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Unsubsidized · Grad$1.5M
63 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.5M
54 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 43 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.0%
-2.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
43
Defaulted
0
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.2%
2017
1.3%
2018
1.5%
2019
0.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Five Branches

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs1
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

100 total completions
01Health Professions
100100.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
321
12-mo unduplicated
405

Gender split

Men
21%84
Women
79%321

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 289 students

3-year trend

2.672 yrs ago2.991 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
2
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs01
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Five Branches vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Five Branches selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectFive Branches University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only321Grad-only—
    Alhambra Medical University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only140Grad-only—
    American Academy of Health and Wellness
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only29Grad-only—
    American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only76Grad-only—
    AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only—Grad-only—
    Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only19Grad-only—
    California Health Sciences University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only607Grad-only—
    Careers Unlimited
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry118No freshman cohort—
    Chamberlain University-Indiana
    		0%100.0%144$16,149—
    Chamberlain University-Missouri
    		100%100.0%284$30,716—
    Chamberlain University-Nevada
    		20%76.5%652$27,073—
    Chamberlain University-North Carolina
    		0%100.0%202$38,436—
    Chamberlain University-Ohio
    		29%87.5%257$31,544—
    Colorado Chinese Medicine University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only89Grad-only—
    Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only102Grad-only—
    Eagle Gate College-Layton
    		42%Open admission226$25,873—
    Eagle Gate College-Murray
    		25%Open admission410$27,345—
    East West College of Natural Medicine
    		100%Grad-only27$23,146—
    Eastern School of Acupuncture and Traditional Medicine
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry42No freshman cohort—
    Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine
    		Grad-only—150Grad-only—
    Florida College of Integrative Medicine
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only54Grad-only—
    Institute of Clinical Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only61Grad-only—
    John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences
    		Not reported82.4%674$37,711—
    Meridian University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only297Grad-only—
    Midwest College of Oriental Medicine-Racine
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry37No freshman cohort—
    Midwest College of Oriental Medicine-Skokie
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry30No freshman cohort—
    Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine & Acupuncture
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only118Grad-only—
    Platt College-Aurora
    		0%36.4%—$42,287—
    Ponce Health Sciences University-St Louis
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only164Grad-only—
    Research College of Nursing
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry205No freshman cohort—
    South University-High Point
    		0%Open admission67$27,634—
    South University-Richmond
    		33%Open admission395$30,442—
    Texas Health and Science University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only92Grad-only—
    University of East-West Medicine
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only81Grad-only—
    Peer group median25%87.5%129$29,038

    Institutions like Five Branches

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Five Branches's comparison group.

    IPEDS

    Reports & documents (1)

    Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

    Frequently asked questions about Five Branches University

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Five Branches.

    What is the acceptance rate at Five Branches University?

    Five Branches University does not have a reported acceptance rate. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so there is no undergraduate admissions cycle to report.

    What is the graduation rate at Five Branches University?

    Five Branches University does not have a reported federal graduation rate. Federal graduation rates track first-time, full-time undergraduates seeking a degree. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so there is no cohort to follow.

    How many students attend Five Branches University?

    Five Branches University reports a total enrollment of 321 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Five Branches University?

    Five Branches University does not have a reported average net price. Net price is a federal metric for first-time, full-time undergraduates receiving federal aid. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so it does not report one.

    Where is Five Branches University located?

    Five Branches University is located in Santa Cruz, California 95062.

    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.

    IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    U.S. Department of Education
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    U.S. Department of Education
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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