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Here at ������һ����ӰԺ�ݲ�, we encourage you to use critical thinking, a for success in college and beyond. That’s why, before we begin our list of the best chiropractic schools in America, we want to acknowledge the fact that the profession is not without its skeptics. Several scientific articles have the lack of scientific evidence on its efficacy, with the exception of treatment for back pain. Others claim chiropractic is a , pointing out the spiritualism of founder D.D. Palmer, who that the tenets of chiropractic were passed along to him during a seance by a long-dead doctor. 

Still, according to, about 11% of adults in the US used chiropractic care in 2022, and it is regulated by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) and each state’s licensing board.

Before we get to our list of the best chiropractic schools in America, let’s first establish some facts about chiropractic practice: what it is (and how it differs from standard medical care), and what you might learn in chiropractic schools. 

What is chiropractic?

The defines chiropractic as a “licensed health care profession that emphasizes the body’s ability to heal itself. This is what makes it distinct from traditional medicine, which often prescribes medications and direct interventions surgery. Chiropractic treatment typically involves manual therapy, often including spinal manipulation.” The word chiropractic the Greek words cheir and praxis, meaning “hand” and “practice,” referring to the manual therapy provided by chiropractors, which can range from stretching and sustained pressure to specific joint manipulations.

Today, there are about in the US– the third largest group of primary healthcare professionals following physicians and dentists– and that number is expected to grow by 10% from 2023 to 2033. This popularity reflects increased demand for non-drug-based, integrative approaches to healthcare; expanded insurance coverage to include chiropractic care; and, perhaps most importantly, growing suggesting positive outcomes to chiropractic treatment for certain health issues (and often for specific durations).

For example, a found spinal manipulation is effective for treating acute neck pain, both alone and in combination with treatments like medication and physiotherapy. This body of research, as well as –using the best available research to guide treatment decisions, focusing on scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values, as opposed to the founder’s beliefs–have grown over the past decade.

What do chiropractors do?

Chiropractors are similar to physical therapists in that they both receive training and must pass a licensing examination to practice and use nonsurgical techniques, such as heat, to help you move better and feel better. This debunks perhaps the about chiropractic: that it doesn’t involve extensive training. In the US, chiropractors must earn a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree at a Council on Chiropractic Education-accredited program, pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners exam, and have a state license. Many states also require chiropractors to pass an exam about state-specific laws, and all states require practicing chiropractors to take continuing education classes.

Chiropractors are distinct from physical therapists in that while physical therapists focus on improving movement and function through targeted exercises and rehabilitation, chiropractors emphasize spinal alignment and its impact on the nervous system. Physical therapists also treat the entire body, but chiropractors primarily focus on the spine and nervous system. Chiropractors primarily use spinal adjustments and manual therapy, while physical therapists use a wider range of techniques, including exercises, stretches, and modalities. Finally, while physical therapists work in a variety of settings like hospitals, schools, clinics, and nursing homes, chiropractors typically only work in an outpatient clinic setting.

What kinds of issues do chiropractors treat?

While the most popular issue patients bring to chiropractors is back pain, chiropractors treat many other conditions, including neck pain, muscle pain, headaches, sciatica, posture, and more. 

What do you learn in chiropractic schools?

Chiropractic education includes classes in basic sciences, such as anatomy and physiology, and supervised clinical experience in which students learn skills such as spinal assessment, adjustment techniques, and making diagnoses. Some chiropractors complete postgraduate education in specialized fields, such as orthopedics or pediatrics.

The Best Chiropractic Schools in America

Now that we have given you a lay of the land of chiropractic, it’s time to look at the best chiropractic schools in the country. Our list includes only the schools that are accredited by the , and all schools are in alphabetical order.

1) Cleveland University – Kansas City

• Location: Overland Park, KS
• Program Length: 3.3 years (accelerated 10-trimester program)

Highlights:

• Cleveland University is one of the oldest non-profit chiropractic colleges in the United States.
• Students spend their tenth trimester as interns in a variety of clinical settings, including Cleveland University’s Health Center, the Kansas City CARE Clinic, and the local Veterans Administration.
• The University sponsors a preceptor program that allows new graduates to work with established practitioners throughout the nation.

2) D’Youville College

• Location: Buffalo, NY 
• Program Length: 3.5 years & 7 Years (Dual BA/ DC)

Highlights: 

• D’Youville College was founded as a Roman Catholic college in 1908, but it accepts students from all religious denominations.
• One of the few DC programs to be affiliated with a liberal arts institution.
• Students have access to rotating internships through four D’Youville-affiliated clinics in western New York.

3) Keiser University

• Location: West Palm Beach, FL 
• Program Length: 40 months

Highlights: 

• Small class sizes.
• Offers clinical training at various sites, including Advanced Surgery Center of Sarasota, Bayfront Health, Bonita Community Health Center, Cape Coral Hospital, Doctors Hospital Sarasota, Doctor’s Same Day Surgery Center, and Fawcett Memorial Hospital.
• The program stresses the importance of evidence-based practices and scientific rigor in chiropractic care.

4) Life Chiropractic College West

• Location: Hayward, CA
• Program Length: 3.5 years & 3 Years (accelerated program)

Highlights: 

• The College (affiliated with Life University in Georgia)  sponsors a Mission Trip America program that provides free chiropractic care to the indigent, homeless, and jobless populations throughout the nation.
• Students are trained in the use of computed radiography, noninvasive neurological testing, and similar diagnostic procedures.
• Incoming classes are admitted four times a year in January, April, July, and October. 

5) Life University

• Location: Marietta, GA
• Program Length: 4 Years

Highlights: 

• Largest single-campus chiropractic institute in the world.
• Campus is also home to the Applied Clinical Neuroscience Institute, a global leader in chiropractic neurology research and vestibular therapy.
• Clinical focus is on the relief of vertebral subluxation complexes, spinal misalignments that “may not show up on X-rays but may be responsible for symptoms like pain and range of motion limitations.”

6) Logan University

• Location: Chesterfield, MO 
• Program Length: 3 Years

Highlights:

• The only DC program in the nation that trains students in 15 different chiropractic techniques.
• Students spend 90 percent of their time developing clinical skill sets under the supervision of teaching clinicians in their 2nd year.
• Clinical opportunities include St. Louis’s Affinia Healthcare system, St. Louis’s CareSTL Health Hospital, and athletes at four nearby schools: Harris–Stowe State University, Lindenwood University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the University of Missouri.

7) National University of Health Sciences

• Location: Lombard, IL & Seminole, FL
• Program Length: 3.4 Years

Highlights:

• University also offers training in acupuncture, oriental medicine, and massage therapy.
• Students have access to clinical internships at campus-affiliated Whole Health Clinics.
• University offers numerous electives in practice management and sports medicine.

8) Northeast College of Health Sciences

• Location: Seneca Falls, NY 
• Program Length: 3.4 Years

Highlights:

• Founded in 1919, the college has graduated over 10,000 alumni and now offers training in acupuncture, oriental medicine, clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, and diagnostic imaging as well as chiropractic.
• Clinical rotations take place in conjunction with health care providers that include Veterans Administration medical centers in Florida and upstate New York; the University of Rochester Medical Center; Walter Reed National Military Center; and the College’s own network of clinics in Seneca Falls, Buffalo/Depew, Rochester, and Long Island/Levittown.
• Students complete a one-year internship before graduation.

9) Northwestern Health Sciences University, College of Chiropractic

• Location: Bloomington, MN 
• Program Length: 3.5 years

Highlights:

• The college also offers programs in acupuncture, oriental medicine, and therapeutic massage.
• Students can be connected to the University’s clinical network, which encompasses several natural care centers as well as more than 150 private-practice clinics.
• The college also offers a popular Doctor of Chiropractic – Sports Emphasis program, which provides care for National Football League alumni as well as for high-profile teams like the Minnesota Vixen, Minnesota Freeze, and Minnesota Alliance Brazilian Jiu Jitsu/Crossfit.

10) Palmer College of Chiropractic

• Location: Davenport, IA; San Jose, CA & Port Orange, FL
• Program Length: 3.5 years

Highlights:

• Palmer College of Chiropractic is both a training institute for chiropractors and a well-established research center, with research projects funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (an NIH agency).
• The College offers specialized hands-on workshops in specialty areas like sports chiropractic and pediatric chiropractic as well as internship programs.
• Incoming classes are admitted in March, July, and November in Davenport and in January, April, July, and October in San Jose and Port Orange.

11) Parker University

• Location: Dallas, TX
• Program Length: 3.4 years

Highlights:

• Although the school does not require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree, students without bachelor’s degrees are strongly encouraged to complete either a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy or a Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness concurrently with their chiropractic studies.
• The University operates two chiropractic therapy clinics, one in Dallas and the other in nearby Irving, where students spend their last three trimesters pursuing internship practicums.

12) Sherman College of Chiropractic

• Location: Boiling Springs, SC 
• Program Length: 3.5 years

Highlights: 

•  The College hosts the Lyceum, an annual conference of seminars and workshops, every year for the chiropractic community.
• Small class sizes.
• Students offered internships at the campus Chiropractic Health Center, which logs 35,000 patient visits every year.

13) Southern California University of Health Sciences

• Location: Whittier, CA
• Program Length: 3.33 years (10 terms) and 4 years (12 terms)

Highlights: 

• Founded in 1911, the University now offers training in a variety of alternative health spheres, including acupuncture and oriental medicine.
• Clinical rotations take place at Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Cal State LA, and Mount San Antonio College as well as at community colleges, Veterans Administration facilities in Orange County, Orange County Rescue Mission, LA Free Clinic, Being Alive Clinic, and LA City Help.
• Offers three different sports medicine pathways: a sports medicine track, a sports medicine honors track, and a post-doctoral sports medicine residency.

14) Texas Chiropractic College

• Location: Pasadena, TX
• Program Length: 3.4 Years

Highlights: 

• Founded in 1908, it is the fourth-oldest chiropractic learning institution in the nation.
• Students have access to clinical training in hospitals, community outreach programs that focus on underserved populations throughout the Houston area.
• College trains students to be able to partner with colleagues in related health care professions, from orthopedics to neurology.

15) University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic

• Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
• Program Length: 4 years

Highlights: 

• The University also offers certifications in athletics or orthotics, concurrent master’s degrees in human nutrition or acupuncture, and postgraduate programs in naturopathic medicine and acupuncture 
• Clinical internships take place at Community Health Center Inc. clinics throughout the state as well as at the Connecticut Veterans Administration Center and Stony Brook Medical Center Department of Neuroradiology.
• The College places a strong emphasis on scientific explanations for the benefits of chiropractic in its evidence-based curriculum.

16) University of Western States

• Location: Portland, OR 
• Program Length: 3-4 Years

Highlights: 

• Founded in 1904, it is the second-oldest chiropractic educational provider in the world.
• Doctor of Chiropractic students also have the opportunity to pursue concurrent master’s degrees in human nutrition, sports and exercise, and sport and performance psychology.
• Students spend their ninth and tenth quarters in clinical internships at the Campus Health Center.

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