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Acupuncture physician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an acupuncture physician. Acupuncture physicians usually study alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems, health sciences and services, or medicine. 47% of acupuncture physicians hold a master's degree, and 40% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 119 real acupuncture physician resumes to see exactly what acupuncture physician education sections show.

The most common colleges for acupuncture physicians are the East West College of Natural Medicine and the East West College of Natural Medicine.

There are also many online acupuncture physician courses to help get the education required to be an acupuncture physician.

What education do you need to become an acupuncture physician?

What degree do you need to be an acupuncture physician?

The most common degree for acupuncture physicians is master's degree, with 47% of acupuncture physicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 40% and bachelor's degree degree at 6%.
  • Master's, 47%
  • Bachelor's, 40%
  • Doctorate, 6%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an acupuncture physician?

You should major in alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems to become an acupuncture physician. 49% of acupuncture physicians major in alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems. Other common majors for an acupuncture physician include health sciences and services and medicine.

Most common colleges for acupuncture physicians

Acupuncture physicians often get their degrees at East West College of Natural Medicine, Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine, and Florida College of Integrative Medicine. Here are the most common colleges for acupuncture physicians in the US based on their resumes.
Acupuncture physician common collegePercentages
East West College of Natural Medicine15.79%
Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine15.79%
Florida College of Integrative Medicine15.79%
Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine10.53%
Acupuncture and Massage College8.77%

Best majors for acupuncture physicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Alternative And Complementary Medicine And Medical Systems49.4%
2Health Sciences And Services12.0%
3Medicine7.2%
4Biology6.0%
5Nursing3.6%

Best colleges for acupuncture physicians

The best colleges for acupuncture physicians are Northwestern University, Brown University, and Washington University in St Louis.

An acupuncture physician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for acupuncture physicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become acupuncture physicians.

1. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

In-state tuition

$55,466

Enrollment

6,752

4. Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,244

Enrollment

15,557

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Enrollment

58,392

20 best online courses for acupuncture physicians

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In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...

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18. Acupressure Massage For Health Certificate Course

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19. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Art Therapy

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Top 10 most affordable universities for acupuncture physicians

The most affordable schools for acupuncture physicians are University of Florida, university of south florida, and university of central florida.

If the best universities for acupuncture physicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for acupuncture physicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

3. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

10. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for acupuncture physicians

The hardest universities for acupuncture physicians to get into are Northwestern University, Brown University, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for acupuncture physicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for acupuncture physicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

9. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for acupuncture physicians

The easiest schools for acupuncture physicians to get into are AdventHealth University, life university, and saint joseph's college of maine.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an acupuncture physician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for acupuncture physicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

4. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,085

5. MCPHS University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,144

6. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

7. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. St. Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

Admissions rate

73%

SAT average

1,124

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average acupuncture physician salary by education level

According to our data, acupuncture physicians with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $212,607 annually. Acupuncture physicians with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $201,536.
Acupuncture physician education levelAcupuncture physician salary
Bachelor's Degree$186,993
No Education$182,866
Some College/ Associate Degree$183,362
Master's Degree$201,536
High School Diploma or Less$147,026

Acupuncture physician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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