The Ultimate Guide to Chiropractic Schools in 2023

The History of Chiropractic Teaching

Chiropractic care was founded by Daniel David Palmer in 1895. He’d used and witnessed chiropractic techniques, however no one had ever looked at what the care actually provided.

He established himself as a chiropractor in 1895 and demonstrated his skill by improving the hearing of a deaf janitor who had suffered from back pain for most of his life.[1]

Palmer went on to create the first chiropractic school and here began the history of chiropractic teaching.

1897 – The first chiropractic school originated in the US and was established by Daniel David Palmer, once referred to as the Palmer Chiropractic School and Cure, and now known as the Palmer College of Chiropractic.[2]

1904 – Palmer worked to help establish a second school in Oregon, the Marshes’ Chiropractic School and Cure, which became Western States Chiropractic College in 1932.[3]

1906 – A graduate of Palmer’s school, John Fitz Allen Howard, went on to become the founder of the National School of Chiropractic.[4]

1935 – The National Chiropractic Association forms a Committee on Education Standards, now known as The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).[5]

1908-1990 – Throughout the next 80 years the profession grew and schools of chiropractic opened across the US including Sherman College of Chiropractic in Iowa, Cleveland Chiropractic College and Life Chiropractic College West in California.

1994 – The Association of Chiropractic Colleges was formed to give the community of chiropractic schools a voice and provide support to promote chiropractic education centers.

Today – There are now 19 chiropractic schools across the US with over 20 more schools across the world.

Preparing for a Career as a Chiropractor – What are the prerequisites?

If you’re considering a career as a chiropractor there are a number of common prerequisites required to secure a place on a Doctor of Chiropractic program.

The prerequisites vary from school to school so it’s worth looking at the particular college you’re interested in, (you can read an example of a school pre-requisite) however there are a number of key things you need to apply for a course:

Credits – You must have, or have the equivalent of, three academic years of undergraduate study, which is 90 semester hours.

Required Courses – Both lecture and laboratory components in coursework from the life and physical sciences (biology, physics and chemistry) are required, with a minimum of 24 semester hours.

Minimum GPA – 3.0, however some schools appear to consider a lower GPA if other criteria are met, so it’s certainly worth still looking into if you don’t have the required GPA.

Soft Skills – As well as the educational pre-requisites to consider, there are a number of soft skills the course providers and eventually employers and patients will be hoping to find.

Strong communication skills, for example, to help put people at ease and a sense of empathy so you are able to understand the patient’s pain. Passion for chiropractic care is also important, to progress and best showcase the technique.

What to look for in a Chiropractic School

There are many different things to consider when you’re choosing the chiropractic school that is right for you:

Rankings – The simplest way to look at the performance of a school is the official rankings published by the TFE Times, this provides a great overview and is based on results and graduation rates.

Accreditations – The Council on Chiropractic Education has a list of accredited courses on its site, so you can check whether the course is reputable and has the necessary accreditation.

Cost – Prices can vary greatly between schools, see more on cost below, so it’s certainly worth balancing up the points above and work out what you’re getting for your money. Plus it’s not just thinking about the cost of the school but also any relocation or living costs that may be involved.

School Reviews – There are a number of sites online, including UniGo, where you can read candid advice from other students about both the school and the course to give you an honest and open insight.

The Best Chiropractic Schools in the USA

If you’re asking yourself which is the best chiropractic school, according to the College Factual rankings, below are the top 10 best chiropractic schools in the USA.[8]

They use a number of metrics to build their rankings, including degree completion, post-graduate earnings, educational resources and student debt.

We’ve also shared the number of degrees awarded by each institution, to give you an idea of the size of the school.

What you can expect when attending Chiropractic School

When you commit to attending chiropractic school the average course lasts four years[9] and involves a combination of roughly 4,200 theory and practical teaching hours and 1,000 hours of supervised clinical training.[10]

You can find an example curriculum from the founding college of chiropractic Palmer College of Chiropractic online, however as an overview all courses cover the basic sciences, technique and also instil the principles of chiropractic care in their students.

At the end of your course you’ll need to gain accreditation by sitting the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners exam before you can legally practice as a chiropractor.

Cost of Attending Chiropractic School

The cost of attending chiropractic school varies vastly so it’s certainly worth doing your research to ensure you’re making the best investment.

Typically the cost of attending chiropractic school is estimated to be $120,000 for the four years, working out at between $9,000 and $15,000 per quarter with the top ten chiropractic schools in the USA falling within these brackets.

If you’re looking for more detailed costings, CollegeCalc, provides a full breakdown, using the chiropractic program at Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport as an example.

It estimates on top of the $9,120 cost of yearly tuition, you would require $8,744 per year for housing costs and $1,950 for books and supplies.

Career Prospects for a Chiropractor

Career prospects are good for a future chiropractor.

You can earn an average salary of $75,000 per year, with the market estimated to grow 10% between 2021 and 2031, faster than the average for all occupations.[11]

It’s a good outlook for a career as a chiropractor.