Marshall B. Ketchum University

Marshall B. Ketchum University (MBKU) is a private, nonprofit graduate university in Fullerton devoted to health-professions education. It is not a general undergraduate college: WSCUC reports no undergraduate enrollment and lists the university’s active main campus in Fullerton. Its programs train optometrists, physician assistants, pharmacists, and advanced physician-assistant leaders, with shared instruction built around collaborative patient care. That focus makes it especially relevant to applicants who already have college-level preparation and are comparing professional health programs.

Programs and clinical training

The Southern California College of Optometry offers the four-year Doctor of Optometry (OD) and graduate study in Vision Science. Students begin seeing patients at the university’s teaching clinics during training and complete clinical rotations in later years. The School of Physician Assistant Studies awards a Master of Medical Science (MMS); MBKU also offers a post-professional Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc), with concentrations in PA education or health administration and leadership. The College of Pharmacy offers a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). Before applying, compare prerequisites and clinical experience requirements: each school uses its own application process, and the DMSc is designed for practicing physician associates and assistants rather than entry-level applicants. The program admissions directory links to the individual requirements and admissions teams.

WSCUC currently lists MBKU as accredited and the Fullerton location as its active main campus; the commission’s latest listed action is a special visit in February 2026. Programmatic approvals are separate: optometry, physician-assistant, and pharmacy education each have their own professional accreditation standards. Applicants should check both institutional standing and the accreditation of the exact program they plan to enter. The university’s WSCUC status record and the program catalog provide the current details.

Tuition, aid, and scholarships

Costs differ by program, and these are graduate professional degrees rather than a single university-wide tuition rate. For 2026–27, published annual tuition is $55,380 for optometry, $61,390 for pharmacy, and $47,849 in the first year of PA studies; PA tuition rises to $63,796 in year two and is $31,899 in year three. Mandatory fees, equipment, clinic charges, housing, food, and transportation add substantially. MBKU’s PA cost page estimates $243,520 for tuition, required program fees, and living expenses across the program. Use the separate optometry, PA, and pharmacy cost and aid pages to build a full budget for your cohort; the university notes that rates can change.

Eligible students apply for federal aid each year by filing the FAFSA with MBKU school code 001230. The university says much of the available professional-program aid is loan-based, so compare repayment obligations and expected borrowing with your career plans. Optometry students can also apply for program scholarships and awards funded by donors; the 2026–27 catalog reports more than 150 awards totaling over $500,000 annually, selected for criteria such as academic or clinical achievement, research, leadership, service, and financial need. These awards are competitive and are not guaranteed to every student. Ask each admissions team whether scholarships, WICHE participation, or other funding applies to your program and state of residence.

Fullerton campus and patient-care locations

The main campus is at 2575 Yorba Linda Boulevard, Fullerton, CA 92831-1699; the general university number is (714) 449-7400. MBKU lists student-service office hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Campus access is a separate matter: the handbook says buildings require university ID access and sets campus hours at 6 a.m.–1 a.m.; the Administration Building is open weekdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Contact the university before visiting, particularly if you need admissions or financial-aid help. The Financial Aid office is in Building D and lists weekday service from 8 a.m.–5 p.m., phone (714) 449-7448.

MBKU’s teaching clinics let students train while serving patients. The University Eye Center at Ketchum Health Anaheim is at 5460 E. La Palma Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92807, phone (714) 463-7500. Published hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wednesday 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30–6 p.m.; closed Sunday. The University Eye Center at Ketchum Health Los Angeles is at 3916 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90037, phone (323) 234-9137. It sees patients by appointment Tuesday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; it is closed Sunday and Monday. Confirm specialty-service availability and appointment times directly with the clinic. For a new eye-care appointment, use the clinic’s patient registration and appointment information.

What students say

The publicly available graduate-school comments are a small sample, but several describe supportive faculty, close student relationships, and a community where instructors take an interest in students. Cost is a recurring practical concern; one reviewer specifically raises the need for financial aid, while a Google reviewer praises the professors and facilities but notes parking difficulty. Read those comments as individual experiences, then ask current students about workload, access to clinical placements, faculty advising, parking, and how manageable the program’s total borrowing was. Read graduate student perspectives and compare them with the curriculum, clinical schedule, and program-specific budget.