What Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine does

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a private nonprofit higher education institution founded in 1989 in Los Angeles, California, by Dr. Daoshing Ni and Dr. Mao Shing Ni — the 38th generation of a Chinese Medicine family lineage tracing to Yo San Ni's founding of TCM education in 1879. The institution offers four graduate-level degree programs accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) and approved by the California Acupuncture Board: the Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (MAcCHM, 4 years, ~$64,255 tuition), the entry-level Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (DAcCHM, 4 years, ~$69,155), a 1-year online DAcCHM Completion program (~$8,000), and the advanced practice DAOM (2 years, ~$33,735) with specializations in Reproductive Medicine and Whole Health & Longevity Medicine. Curriculum is built on a proprietary lineage-based methodology integrating Taoist philosophy, I Ching, Yin-Yang, Five Elements theory, meridian system, Qi cultivation practices (Self-Healing Qigong, Eight Treasures Qigong, Harmony Tai Chi Chuan) with modern biomedical sciences, totaling 3,225-3,585 instructional hours across entry-level programs. The institution delivers clinical training via the Yo San University Community Clinic — described as the busiest TCM university clinic in the country at 16,000+ patient visits annually — and externship partnerships with USC Institute for Integrative Health & Wellness, UCLA Venice Family Clinic, WISE & Healthy Aging, and Being Alive Los Angeles. Revenue is generated primarily from tuition (60-70% of students receive federal student loan aid), clinic services, and continuing education units for licensed practitioners. A paid clinical residency program for four graduates annually at the Blount Community Clinic is the only such program in the United States.

Name

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Legal name

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Website

https://yosan.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a private nonprofit graduate school in Los Angeles founded in 1989 that trains licensed acupuncturists through four ACAOM-accredited degree programs anchored in a 38-generation family lineage of TCM practitioners, supported by the country's busiest university TCM clinic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue generated from tuition fees for degree programs including Master's (MAcCHM), Entry-Level Doctorate (DAcCHM), Doctoral Completion, and Advanced Practice Doctorate (DAOM) programs. Tuition ranges from $8,000 for the one-year completion program to $69,155 for the four-year entry-level doctorate.
2. Clinic Services Revenue: Revenue from patient services at Yo San University Community Clinic, which sees over 16,000 patients annually and provides acupuncture, herbal medicine, and TCM treatments to the public
3. Continuing Education Units (CEU): Revenue from continuing education courses for licensed practitioners requiring 50 hours of CE every two years for license renewal in California
4. Financial Aid Administration: Administration of federal student loans, grants, and scholarships including Federal Student Loan Program, Veteran Benefits, and institutional scholarships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Yo San University is a private nonprofit graduate-level institution that delivers accredited degree programs in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including the MAcCHM, DAcCHM Entry-Level, DAcCHM Completion, and DAOM programs. Education is grounded in a 38-generation lineage-based Taoist healing arts curriculum and supported by an in-house teaching community clinic and external clinical externships. The university also operates clinical services to the public through its Community Clinic and specialty clinics.

Product overview

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a higher education institution offering a portfolio of graduate-level degree programs in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The core educational offerings include the Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (MAcCHM) as the foundational 4-year master's degree, and the entry-level Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (DAcCHM) doctorate program. For practicing professionals, the institution provides the DAcCHM Completion Track (1-year online) for master's graduates seeking a doctorate, and the advanced practice DAOM program (2-year executive format) with specializations in Reproductive Medicine and Whole Health & Longevity Medicine. Supporting these academic programs is the Yo San University Community Clinic system, which includes general community clinic services as well as specialty clinics in Reproductive Medicine and Healthy Aging/Internal Medicine. The institution also maintains clinical externship partnerships with external healthcare facilities for extended practical training. All programs are delivered primarily in-person at the Los Angeles campus with some online components available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yo San University Community Clinic: The university's teaching clinic providing acupuncture and TCM services to the community
• Reproductive Medicine Specialty Clinic
• Healthy Aging and Internal Medicine Clinic
• Blount Community Clinic

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 255,000 free or subsidized community treatments provided since 2000
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• USC Institute for Integrative Health & WellnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training partnership providing externship opportunities for YSU students at The Wellness Center at USC Historic General Hospital in East Los Angeles. The 30,000 square foot multi-service facility serves underserved communities. Students apply classroom learning in real-world integrated healthcare settings, gaining experience in collaborative care environments.
• UCLA Venice Family CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UCLA-affiliated Federally Qualified Health Center providing acupuncture services to diverse and underserved patient populations in Santa Monica. YSU students deliver acupuncture treatments for pain, insomnia, anxiety, and stress through weekly clinic sessions, enhancing cultural competency and hands-on clinical skills.
• WISE & Healthy AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with nationally recognized leader in elder care, establishing a model acupuncture clinic for community-based integrative health at their Santa Monica facility. Students gain specialized training in geriatric care, delivering over 21,000 patient treatments annually including subsidized sessions under faculty medical supervision.
• Being AlivesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Los Angeles non-profit supporting residents living with HIV/AIDS. YSU students complete clinical training hours providing acupuncture and holistic care within the organization's supportive environment. Being Alive serves 1,200+ residents with over 100 volunteers providing free services.
• California Acupuncture BoardcoreOthersState regulatory body that approves acupuncture schools and administers the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam (CALE). YSU programs are CALE-approved, meeting state-specific requirements for acupuncturist licensure in California.
• Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM)coreOthersPrimary accrediting body for acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs in the United States. YSU holds ACAHM accreditation ensuring programs meet rigorous educational standards and prepare students for professional practice and federal financial aid eligibility.
• National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)coreOthersNational certification organization administering exams for acupuncturists. YSU programs are NCCAOM-certified, preparing graduates for national board certification exams required for licensure in most states.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Maryland University of Integrative Health: Maryland-based graduate university offering acupuncture, herbal medicine, and integrative health programs with a strong online/distance-learning orientation. Comparable in mission and curriculum, but operates East Coast-focused with broader integrative health positioning rather than YSU's Taoist-lineage specialization.
• National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM): Portland-based university offering naturopathic medicine, Classical Chinese Medicine, and integrative health programs. Comparable to YSU in offering graduate-level Chinese medicine credentials, but operates a broader natural-medicine curriculum across multiple disciplines.
• Bastyr University: Washington-state-based university offering naturopathic medicine, acupuncture/EAOM, nutrition, and psychology programs. Broader incumbent in the natural/integrative health education space — overlaps with YSU on acupuncture training but operates a wider health-sciences portfolio at meaningfully larger scale.

Direct peers

• Five Branches University: California-based TCM university with campuses in Santa Cruz and San Jose offering Master's, Doctoral, and DAOM-equivalent programs. Closest geographic and curricular peer to YSU, with similarly lineage-rooted Taoist/integrative medicine positioning and comparable tuition tiers.
• University of East-West Medicine: Sunnyvale, California TCM university offering Master's and Doctoral programs in acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Direct California-based peer competing for similar licensure-track students, with comparable program structure and price points.
• Pacific College of Health and Science: One of the largest U.S. acupuncture and TCM schools, with campuses in San Diego, New York, and Chicago plus significant online programs. Directly comparable to YSU in mission (TCM/Asian medicine graduate education), degree mix (Master's and DAOM-equivalent), and target student (aspiring licensed acupuncturists), but with materially larger scale and multi-market reach.
• AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine: Austin, Texas-based graduate school offering Master's and DAOM programs in acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Comparable to YSU in TCM graduate education focus and degree mix, but with a Texas regional base rather than West Coast/Los Angeles market overlap.
• Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS): Whittier, California health sciences university offering acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine programs alongside chiropractic and other health sciences. Los Angeles-area competitor with overlapping target students and similar integrative-medicine positioning, though broader in scope than YSU.
• American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CIIS): San Francisco-based TCM school (now part of California Institute of Integral Studies) offering Master's and DAOM programs. Directly comparable to YSU in TCM curriculum, California licensure focus, and integrative medicine emphasis, but with the additional institutional backing of a larger multidisciplinary university.
• Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine: Santa Monica-based TCM graduate school offering Master's and Doctoral programs with on-campus clinic. Direct Los Angeles-area competitor with overlapping target students, similar degree structure, and competing claims around clinical training volume and integration with Western medicine.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YoSanUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/120452517995178
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yo-san-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine