I heard some TCM schools have shut down — is that true?

Yes — it's a real and legitimate worry, not an exaggerated one

If you've heard this, you heard right, and it's worth taking seriously as you compare schools — several well-known TCM institutions have closed in just the last couple of years:

(Source: each school's own ACAHM/institutional record, as checked 08/2026.)

These weren't fringe programs — some had been training practitioners for 40+ years. Shrinking enrollment and rising accreditation costs have squeezed the whole field, and it's a genuine reason to weigh a school's stability and track record, not just its price tag — especially if you'd be relocating or, more urgently, if you're on an F-1 visa, where a school closing mid-program is a much bigger setback than it would be for a domestic student able to transfer more freely.

For its part, Five Branches University was founded in 1984 and has held continuous accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM) since then, most recently a 7-year renewal effective August 2018. That accreditation and the school's own disclosure statement are viewable directly at ACAHM's directory and on Five Branches' accreditation page — worth checking for any school you're seriously considering, not just this one.

Is there a specific school you're currently weighing, or are you mainly trying to figure out what to check before committing anywhere?