| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private for-profit allied-health school; mostly hybrid (theory online, labs on campus), plus one fully online course |
| Campus | 1: North Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA |
| Credentials | Certificates and diplomas; one Associate of Science degree |
| Typical length | CNA about 8 weeks; most certificates and diplomas 36 to 38 weeks; associate degree 61 weeks |
| Accreditation | ACCET (institutional); approved by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell Grants and Direct Loans |
| Founded / owner | 1996, as the Institute of Professional Practical Therapy; renamed in 2011; owned by IPPT Career School, Inc. |
| Students | 156 in fall 2024, all full-time (federal data) |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
SOCHI: a small allied-health school in North Hollywood
Southern California Health Institute, usually called SOCHI, is a private for-profit school in North Hollywood, a neighborhood of Los Angeles. It opened in 1996 as the Institute of Professional Practical Therapy, then moved to the NoHo Arts District and took its current name in 2011. It is owned by IPPT Career School, Inc.
Massage therapy is still its largest program, followed by medical assisting and a physical therapy aide / sports rehab program. Most programs run about nine months in a hybrid format: theory is taught online and labs are held in person at the campus. Federal data counted 156 students in fall 2024, all of them full-time.
Programs and what they lead to
Every program except the associate degree ends in a certificate or diploma, and none has its own programmatic accreditation.
| Program | Credential | Length | Delivery and hands-on part | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Professional Massage Therapy | Certificate, 54.4 quarter credits | 37 weeks | Hybrid; 125-hour student massage clinic | MBLEx; voluntary CAMTC certification |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma, 900 clock hours | 36 weeks | Hybrid; 150-hour externship | NCCT medical assistant exam (the catalog names the CCMA) |
| Physical Therapy Aide / Sports Rehab | Certificate, 56.15 quarter credits | 38 weeks | Hybrid; 100-hour externship | No physical therapy licence; includes MBLEx preparation |
| Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) | Certificate, 164 clock hours | About 8 weeks; day or evening | In person; campus skills lab and an assisted-living center | California CNA certification exam |
| Medical Billing & Coding Specialist | Diploma, 900 clock hours | 36 weeks | Hybrid; practicum | AAPC coding exam (CPC) |
| Personal Fitness Trainer / Health & Wellness Professional | Certificate, 900 clock hours | 36 weeks | Hybrid; three fitness practicums | NASM Certified Personal Trainer |
| Sports & Rehabilitation Therapy | Associate of Science, 96.58 quarter credits | 61 weeks | Not stated by the school | No licence; not a PTA degree |
| CMAA (Certified Medical Administrative Assistant) | Online course, 900 hours | About 9 months | 100% online | NCCT medical administrative certification |
Billing and coding and the fitness trainer program have live pages on the school’s site but are missing from its programs index, and both started far fewer students in 2024 than in 2023. The CMAA course is fully online and does not appear in the catalog text or in state or federal data.
What the main programs cover
Advanced Professional Massage Therapy
The massage certificate is 54.4 quarter credits over 37 weeks, about nine months. Theory is taught by interactive distance learning, and students attend required in-person labs at the North Hollywood campus. The program includes 125 hours in the school’s student massage clinic. It prepares students for the MBLEx licensing exam and for voluntary certification by the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC). Students sign a self-employment attestation at enrollment.
Medical Assistant
The Medical Assistant diploma is 900 clock hours over 36 weeks. Theory is online and clinical skills are taught in person at the campus. The program includes a 150-hour externship. The program page points graduates to NCCT’s medical assistant exam, while the catalog names the CCMA, offered by NHA or NCCT, so ask which exam the school pays for or prepares you for. California does not license medical assistants, so certification is voluntary.
Physical Therapy Aide / Sports Rehab
This certificate is 56.15 quarter credits over 38 weeks in a hybrid format, with a 100-hour externship. Despite the name, it does not lead to a physical therapy licence: the school’s program page says it is not a Physical Therapist Assistant program. The coursework includes preparation for the MBLEx massage exam, so graduates may also seek voluntary CAMTC massage certification. Like massage students, physical therapy aide students sign a self-employment attestation when they enroll.
Certified Nursing Assistant
The CNA program is 164 clock hours, about eight weeks, with day and evening options. It is taught in person: students practice skills in the campus lab, and the catalog places practical training at an assisted-living center. Students complete Live Scan fingerprint clearance, which goes to the California Department of Public Health, and then take the California CNA certification exam. SOCHI does not offer LVN or RN programs; its nursing page mentions them only as possible next steps after CNA.
Fitness, billing and coding, and the associate degree
The Personal Fitness Trainer program is 900 clock hours over 36 weeks, built around NASM’s Certified Personal Trainer exam, with three fitness practicums. Medical Billing & Coding is also 900 hours over 36 weeks, includes a practicum and prepares for an AAPC coding exam (the CPC). The Associate of Science in Sports & Rehabilitation Therapy is 96.58 quarter credits over 61 weeks; the school names “sports and rehab specialist” as a job title, but it is neither a PTA degree nor CAPTE-accredited.
Cost: one flat price per program
SOCHI charges one price per program, with no in-state or out-of-state tiers and no separate hybrid rate. The figures below are from the school’s tuition page, which says it was last updated in October 2023; we found no newer published schedule. Total charges add registration (the same $200 for every program), books, supplies and fees.
| Program | Tuition | Total charges |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Professional Massage Therapy | $14,500 | $16,165 |
| Medical Assistant | $14,500 | $16,495 (includes a $725 lab fee) |
| Physical Therapy Aide / Sports Rehab | $14,500 | $16,425 |
| Medical Billing & Coding Specialist | $14,500 | $16,795 |
| Personal Fitness Trainer / Health & Wellness Professional | $14,500 | $17,172 (includes $1,397 of certifications) |
| Certified Nursing Assistant | $1,725 | $2,300 |
| Associate of Science, Sports & Rehabilitation Therapy | $30,500 | $34,315 |
The school’s 2024 report to the state gives different totals for three programs: $16,645 for physical therapy aide, $17,195 for fitness trainer and $32,500 for the associate degree. Across both sources, totals for the $14,500 programs run from $16,165 to $17,195. Check the figures in your enrollment agreement.
Students can use federal Pell Grants and Direct Loans; 88% of students took federal loans in 2024, according to the school’s BPPE annual report. The school also takes WIOA and vocational rehabilitation funding, and it is approved by CSAAVE for veterans’ benefits; its veterans page names the Montgomery GI Bill. Federal data put the average net price at $29,272 for 2023-24. Withdrawing in the first five days brings a full refund; after that, refunds are pro rata until 60% of the program is completed, and there is no refund after that.
Admission and class times
Applicants need a high-school diploma or GED and must be 18 by their graduation date. They interview, tour the campus and sign an acknowledgment of the hybrid format, along with an enrollment agreement and a statement of health. International students have an English-proficiency interview; the school is certified to enroll them. The school says it is routinely enrolling new classes but publishes no start calendar. Classes run between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and the administrative offices are open 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Accreditation, state approval and results
SOCHI is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET), which the US Department of Education recognizes; the school says it has held ACCET accreditation since 2018. Federal College Navigator still lists only ACICS, with accreditation dates of 2010 to 2022, which has since lost federal recognition. The school is approved by the California BPPE (school code 1925331), and the catalog lists a CAMTC school approval code for massage. ABMP, AMTA and NCBTMB are memberships, not accreditations.
The state’s 2024 performance figures below measure on-time completion (within the normal program length) and placement in the field within six months, as verified by the school; the CNA row is from the 2023 BPPE report.
| Program | Finished on time | Graduates placed in the field within 6 months |
|---|---|---|
| Massage Therapy | 70.7% (41 of 58) | 74.4% (29 of 39; 17 of the 29 self-employed) |
| Medical Assistant | 71.1% (27 of 38) | 75% (18 of 24) |
| Physical Therapy Aide / Sports Rehab | 69.7% (23 of 33) | 81.8% (18 of 22) |
| Medical Billing & Coding | 78.6% (11 of 14) | 81.8% (9 of 11) |
| Personal Fitness Trainer | 71.4% (5 of 7) | 80% (4 of 5; all self-employed) |
| Sports & Rehabilitation Therapy (AS) | 72.7% (8 of 11) | 71.4% (5 of 7) |
| Certified Nursing Assistant (2023) | 90% (10 starters) | 85.7% |
No exam pass rates are published for any program: the school reports exam passage as not applicable. The federal cohort default rate was 0% for FY2021 (0 of 190 borrowers), according to College Navigator.
In November 2024 the BPPE affirmed a $500 citation for untrue or misleading statements in the catalog, which still listed CPR as part of the massage curriculum, and ordered the claim removed. After an inspection in June 2025, a BPPE notice to comply listed five minor violations, covering the school’s website, catalog and enrollment agreement, with no fine.
Before you enroll
- The physical therapy aide program and the associate degree do not train physical therapist assistants: neither leads to a PTA licence, the degree is not CAPTE-accredited, and SOCHI offers no PTA program.
- Prices are from a tuition page last updated in October 2023, and the school’s state report shows different totals for some programs. Get the full cost in writing before you sign.
- The fitness trainer and billing and coding programs are missing from the school’s programs index. Fitness trainer starts fell from 28 in 2023 to 7 in 2024, with no completions in 2024-25, so ask whether the program is still enrolling.
- Many massage and fitness graduates counted as placed are self-employed (17 of the 29 placed massage graduates in 2024), and students in those programs sign a self-employment attestation.
- The CNA program did not appear in the school’s 2024 state report. Ask the school for its California Department of Public Health training-program approval before enrolling.
One campus, in North Hollywood
SOCHI’s only campus is at 5644 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601, the school’s home since 2011, and its in-person labs are held there. The school’s website also has pages for Van Nuys, Glendale, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Universal City and Los Angeles, but these are not campuses: the state lists no branch or satellite locations.
Career help and the student clinic
SOCHI has a career services contact, and the school verifies the job placements it reports to the state. The on-campus student massage clinic is part of the massage program. The school offers no housing.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Massage, Rehab and Fitness
- Advanced Professional Massage Therapy (certificate)
- Physical Therapy Aide / Sports Rehab (certificate; not a Physical Therapist Assistant program)
- Personal Fitness Trainer / Health & Wellness Professional (NASM CPT exam prep)
- Sports & Rehabilitation Therapy (Associate of Science)
Medical and Nursing
- Medical Assistant (diploma)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA, 164 hours)
- Medical Billing & Coding Specialist (diploma)
- CMAA, Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (online course)
Campus Locations
Los Angeles (North Hollywood), CA 5644 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601