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Chiropractic doctor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chiropractic doctor. Chiropractic doctors usually study chiropractic, biology, or human biology. 52% of chiropractic doctors hold a doctoral degree, and 37% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 526 real chiropractic doctor resumes to see exactly what chiropractic doctor education sections show.

The most common colleges for chiropractic doctors are the Palmer College of Chiropractic and the Palmer College of Chiropractic.

There are also many online chiropractic doctor courses to help get the education required to be a chiropractic doctor.

What education do you need to become a chiropractic doctor?

What degree do you need to be a chiropractic doctor?

The most common degree for chiropractic doctors is doctoral degree, with 52% of chiropractic doctors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 37% and bachelor's degree degree at 6%.
  • Doctorate, 52%
  • Bachelor's, 37%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a chiropractic doctor?

You should major in chiropractic to become a chiropractic doctor. 56% of chiropractic doctors major in chiropractic. Other common majors for a chiropractic doctor include biology and human biology.

Most common colleges for chiropractic doctors

Chiropractic doctors often get their degrees at Palmer College of Chiropractic, Life University, and New York Chiropractic College. Here are the most common colleges for chiropractic doctors in the US based on their resumes.
Chiropractic doctor common collegePercentages
Palmer College of Chiropractic21.21%
Life University18.18%
New York Chiropractic College10.30%
Texas Chiropractic College9.09%
Northwestern Health Sciences University7.27%

Best majors for chiropractic doctors

RankMajorPercentages
1Chiropractic55.6%
2Biology11.4%
3Human Biology4.2%
4Kinesiology4.2%
5Psychology3.3%

Best colleges for chiropractic doctors

The best colleges for chiropractic doctors are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

A chiropractic doctor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chiropractic doctors. 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 chiropractic doctors.

1. University of Bridgeport

Bridgeport, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$33,055

Enrollment

3,415

2. Aurora University

Aurora, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$24,260

Enrollment

3,944

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$26,750

Enrollment

1,620

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for chiropractic doctors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chiropractic doctors

The most affordable schools for chiropractic doctors are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for chiropractic doctors 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 chiropractic doctors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chiropractic doctors

The hardest universities for chiropractic doctors to get into are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for chiropractic doctors 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 chiropractic doctors 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. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

2. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chiropractic doctors

The easiest schools for chiropractic doctors to get into are D'Youville College, adventhealth university, and life university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chiropractic doctor 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 chiropractic doctors.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

3. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,085

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average chiropractic doctor salary by education level

Chiropractic doctor education levelChiropractic doctor salary
Doctorate Degree$55,166

Chiropractic doctor 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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