
Pacific College of Health and Science is a private, health-focused institution founded in San Diego in 1986. It was formerly called Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, a name that reflected its original emphasis on acupuncture and related approaches to health care.
The change to its current name reflects a broader academic scope that includes nursing and other health sciences. The college also operates beyond San Diego, so prospective students should check which programs, clinical requirements, and services apply specifically to the California campus rather than assuming that every offering is available at every location.
Pacific College of Health and Science organizes its education around health professions rather than a broad range of liberal arts colleges or conventional academic departments. Its areas of study include acupuncture and herbal medicine, nursing, and other health-science subjects.
Credentials and delivery formats differ by program: a nursing pathway intended for licensed registered nurses, for example, has different prerequisites from graduate study in acupuncture. Applicants should use the catalog for their intended program and campus to check the exact degree title, whether coursework is online or in person, clinical-hour requirements, and whether the curriculum meets the licensing rules where they plan to practice.
The California campus is in San Diego, in a metropolitan setting suited to a college whose programs include hands-on health-care training. Pacific College also has other locations and online offerings; a program's advertised availability should not be taken to mean that every course or clinical experience occurs in San Diego.
For commuters, the practical questions are where required classes and clinical placements take place, how often attendance is required, and whether a proposed schedule works with local travel times. Students relocating to San Diego should budget for housing and transportation separately from tuition. San Diego International Airport serves the region, but routine access to campus matters more than airport proximity for most students.
Pacific College of Health and Science describes its educational purpose in terms of training health professionals and integrating different approaches to health and wellness. Its history in acupuncture and herbal medicine remains relevant to that identity, even as its academic offerings have expanded.
That mission describes the college's priorities, not a guarantee of a particular clinical philosophy, job outcome, or licensing result for every degree. Students should compare the curriculum and supervised training in their specific program with the professional scope of practice they hope to enter.
Name of the institution
Pacific College of Health and Science-CaliforniaLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
City: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
Under 1,000
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Doctor's degree - professional practiceData 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.