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Marshall B Ketchum University

EIN 95-1644593 · Fullerton, CA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO EDUCATE CARING, INSPIRED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE PREPARED TO DELIVER COLLABORATIVE, PATIENT-CENTRIC HEALTH CARE IN AN INTERPROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT.

Income
$82.9 million
Spending
$43.8 million
Spent on programs
84%
Reserves
12.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
investment income, 50%
Employees
288
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$590,570, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 84% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 12.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 28% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 47% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 91% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    84% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 38 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 12 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $25.5 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE OGRADUATE EDUCATION: THE MISSION OF MARSHALL B. KETCHUM UNIVERSITY IS TO EDUCATE CARING, INSPIRED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, AND THE CURRICULUM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL. IN ADDITION TO THE RIGOROUS ACADEMIC AND CLINICAL CURRICULUM ON CAMPUS, ALL PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS ROTATE THROUGH SEVERAL EXTERNAL CLINICAL SITES TO BROADEN AND DIVERSIFY THEIR LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO PREPARE THEM FOR CAREERS IN HEALTH CARE. IN THE FALL OF 2024, OUR TOTAL ENROLLMENT WAS 633 FULL-TIME HEALTH PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS REPRESENTING OPTOMETRY (403), PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT (119), PHARMACY (105), MASTER OF SCIENCE IN VISION SCIENCE (0), AND OUR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM OFFERING A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CLINICAL OPTOMETRY (6). IN ADDITION, MBKU HAD 2 OPTOMETRY AND 9 PHARMACY PART-TIME STUDENTS. FOR THE 2024-25 ACADEMIC YEAR, WE GRADUATED 38 MEDICAL MASTER'S SCIENCE DEGREES AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT CERTIFICATES, 90 DOCTOR OPTOMETRY DEGREES, 26 DOCTOR OF PHARMACY DEGREES, 0 MASTER OF SCIENCE IN VISION SCIENCE, AND 6 MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CLINICAL OPTOMETRY (THIS IS THE LAST YEAR OF THIS PROGRAM).THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS FOR FALL 2024 ENROLLMENT IS REPORTED BELOW. AT THE OUTSET OF THE APPLICATION PERIOD, THE ADMISSIONS POLICY COMMITTEES ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR GPAS, APPLICATION TEST SCORES, IF APPLICABLE, AND ACADEMIC INDEX POINT MINIMUMS PROVIDING THRESHOLDS FOR ADMISSIONS PERSONNEL TO CAREFULLY SCREEN AND SELECT THE MOST QUALIFIED APPLICANTS TO INTERVIEW.PROGRAM: OPTOMETRY VERIFIED APPLICATIONS* 437INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED 193 MATRICULATED CLASS 106PROGRAM: PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTVERIFIED APPLICATIONS* 1,879INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED 140MATRICULATED CLASS 40PROGRAM: PHARMACY VERIFIED APPLICATIONS* 184 INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED 118 MATRICULATED CLASS 30*VERIFIED APPLICATIONS THROUGH THE CENTRALIZED APPLICATION SYSTEM(I.E., OPTOMCAS, CASPA, AND PHARMCAS).
  2. $10.0 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE OCLINICAL EDUCATION VISION/PATIENT CARE: AFFILIATED WITH THE EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE UNIVERSITY OPERATES FULL-SERVICE VISION CLINICS ON ITS ANAHEIM CAMPUS AND IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, PLUS 5 LIMITED-HOUR COMMUNITY CLINICS IN ORANGE COUNTY AND LOS ANGELES, MANY LOCATED IN LOW-INCOME AREAS. THE CLINICS TOGETHER SERVED 29,050 UNIQUE ENCOUNTERS. COMPREHENSIVE VISION SERVICES INCLUDE PRIMARY EYE CARE AND SPECIALIZED PATIENT SERVICES: BASIC VISION EXAMINATION; PEDIATRIC VISION SCREENING, VISION CARE AND VISION THERAPY; OCULAR DISEASE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AND OPHTHALMOLOGY CONSULTATION; CONTACT LENSES AND PROSTHETICS FITTING; LOW VISION REHABILITATION AND EYEWEAR AND OPTICAL DISPENSING. THE VISION CLINICS PROVIDED $499,960.77 IN PUBLIC SUPPORT THROUGH DISCOUNTS AND FEE WAIVERS. WE PARTICIPATED IN 2 SCHOOL SCREENINGS FOR 2025 AND CARED FOR 383 PATIENTS.
  3. $1.1 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE ORESEARCH: THE UNIVERSITY SUPPORTS RESEARCH WITHIN THE THREE UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS, THE COLLEGES OF OPTOMETRY AND PHARMACY AND THE SCHOOL OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES. THE UNIVERSITY PROVIDES ADMINISTRATIVE, AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO FACULTY AND STUDENTS WHO ENGAGE IN RESEARCH.THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY AT MBKU HAS 35 FULL-TIME FACULTY. A TOTAL OF 32 FACULTY STUDIES WERE ACTIVE DURING THE YEAR, THAT INCLUDED EXTERNALLY-FUNDED STUDIES (E.G., GRANTS FROM NIH, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, FOUNDATIONS AND INDUSTRY), AND SELF-FUNDED STUDIES. THE MS IN VISION SCIENCE PROGRAM HAD 6 PROJECTS ACTIVE DURING THE YEAR AND 1 ACTIVE STUDENT RESEARCH ELECTIVE. TOTAL EXTERNAL GRANT REVENUE FOR THE PERIOD WAS $416,034 AND THERE WERE 20 PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS.THE COLLEGE OF PHARMACY IS COMPOSED OF TWO DEPARTMENTS, PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES AND PHARMACY PRACTICE.THE DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY PRACTICE HAS 12 FULL-TIME FACULTY MEMBERS, WITH 11 AS PHARMACY CLINICAL FACULTY AND 1 NON-CLINICAL FACULTY MEMBER. DURING THE YEAR, PHARMACY PRACTICE FACULTY PRODUCED 36 PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS OR PRESENTATIONS AND 4 EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEACH PROJECTS OR GRANTS.THE DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES (DPS) HAS 7 FULL-TIME FACULTY MEMBERS WHOSE RESEARCH INCLUDED EXTERNAL GRANTS, SUCH AS ONE FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. TOTAL DIRECT GRANT REVENUE FOR THE PERIOD WAS $25,698 AND THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 9 PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS OR PRESENTATIONS.THE SCHOOL OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES AT MBKU HAD 8 FULL-TIME AND 5 PART-TIME FACULTY. SCHOLARLY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ARE INTEGRAL TO THE MASTERS CAPSTONE PROJECT (MCP) WHICH HAD A TOTAL OF 8 COMPLETED. THE SPAS PROGRAM HAD A CLASS OF 40 ENROLLED STUDENTS FOR 2025. THERE WAS NO DIRECT GRANT REVENUE FOR THE PERIOD AND THERE WERE 4 TOTAL PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS OR PRESENTATIONS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 1954.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.