Besides tuition, what hidden costs should I expect?
As of when we last checked (07/2026), the school's own catalog is where these exact figures live, and it's honest to say it's a bit inconsistent internally on one or two of them (the application fee shows two different numbers in different sections) — so for the precise current amount, the Tuition & Fees page is the one to check.
Beyond tuition, several separate cost categories are worth budgeting for. It's a fair thing to ask about — tuition is usually the headline number, but it's genuinely not the whole picture for a graduate program with clinical training, and knowing the full shape of it now avoids surprises later.
| Category | What the school's fee schedule shows | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Books | ≈$1,000 total (estimate) | DAcHM/MAcHM Catalog |
| Room/board/misc | ≈$2,000/month (estimate) | DAcHM/MAcHM Catalog |
| Malpractice insurance | $60/trimester (DAcHM/MAcHM); $90/year (DAOM) | mandatory |
| Student council / activities fees | $25–$50/trimester | |
| Herb sample kits | $45 (3 trimesters) | |
| STRF (state-mandated) | small, tied to tuition | CA BPPE requirement |
| Application fee | catalog shows more than one figure ($65–$100 domestic, higher for international) — not reconciled in the source | check current fees page |
| Misc. transactional fees | transcript requests, make-up exams, installment plan, transfer fee, etc. | small, situational |
As of when we last checked (07/2026), the school's own catalog is where these exact figures live, and it's honest to say it's a bit inconsistent internally on one or two of them (the application fee shows two different numbers in different sections) — so for the precise current amount, the Tuition & Fees page is the one to check.
Living costs matter more than most people expect, too. Five Branches doesn't provide student housing or housing-search help, and this is a real cost of the place, not the school: MIT's Living Wage Calculator (data current as of 02/2026) put a single adult's required income before taxes at roughly $79,000/year in Santa Clara County (San Jose) and $89,400/year in Santa Cruz County — driven mostly by housing.
Underneath the dollar figures, the real question is usually "can I actually afford to do this" — and pacing part-time while keeping income coming in is one honest way people make the math work. Are you weighing this against working while you study, or trying to picture the full cost of going full-time?
Sources
- Five Branches University — Financial Aid checked 2026-08
- MIT Living Wage Calculator · HUD Fair Market Rents checked 2026-07
- The school's own published catalog and website checked 2026-07
- Five Branches University — Tuition Fee checked 2026-08
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