
The Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture (ITEA) is a graduate-level acupuncture school in Louisville, Colorado. Its educational identity centers on Classical Five-Element Acupuncture, an approach associated with the teaching of J. R. Worsley. That specialization is more useful to a prospective student than treating ITEA as a general-purpose college: its history and curriculum are tied to a particular tradition of acupuncture practice.
Applicants interested in how that tradition is taught today should compare the current academic catalog with the requirements for acupuncture licensure in the state where they intend to practice. A school's teaching lineage and a state's licensing standards answer different questions.
ITEA is a specialized acupuncture institution, not a university organized into multiple undergraduate colleges or a broad range of academic departments. Its graduate training focuses on acupuncture and the theory and clinical practice of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture.
For an applicant, the key academic distinctions are the credential awarded, the subjects included in the current curriculum, and the amount and supervision of clinical training. Those details matter particularly to anyone comparing acupuncture programs that emphasize different approaches or include different coursework in herbal medicine. The current catalog is the appropriate place to confirm a program's exact degree title and course requirements before applying.
ITEA is located in Louisville, Colorado, in Boulder County's Front Range region. Louisville is between Boulder and the Denver metropolitan area, giving students access to a wider regional community while making commuting and local housing decisions relevant to the cost of attendance.
Clinical education can make travel needs different from those of a student attending only classroom lectures. Before choosing where to live, applicants should check the current location of classes and clinical activities, their required attendance schedule, and whether a car or another transportation arrangement would be practical.
ITEA's educational purpose is to train practitioners in Classical Five-Element Acupuncture. Its Taoist and Five-Element orientation describes an educational philosophy and clinical tradition; it should not be mistaken for a claim that every student must hold a particular religious belief.
Prospective students can evaluate how that stated purpose appears in the curriculum: the balance of theory and supervised practice, the approach to patient assessment, and instruction in professional responsibilities. Those concrete features are more informative than a mission statement alone when deciding whether the program fits one's goals.
Name of the institution
Institute of Taoist Education and AcupunctureLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: SmallInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, graduate with no undergraduate degreesInstitution size category
Under 1,000Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Master's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.