For parents, counselors and pre-health advisors

The chiropractic path, on one page.

What it takes to become a chiropractor in the United States, the questions worth asking each program, and where the figures come from. Every figure carries its source and the date it was checked.

What the path involves

  1. Undergraduate prerequisites. Science coursework, usually with labs, plus other required subjects, completed before the program begins.
  2. An accredited Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program. Basic sciences, then clinical sciences, then a supervised clinical internship.
  3. National board exams. Taken in parts during the program, not saved for the end. The program's own calendar decides when each part falls.
  4. A state license. Each state's licensing board sets its own requirements on top of the degree and the boards.

Prerequisites vary by program

There is no single national prerequisite list. Programs differ on the number of science hours, which courses need labs, whether a bachelor's degree is required, and the minimum GPA. Check each program's current published requirements, not a forum thread or a list from a few years ago.

Questions worth asking each program

  • What are your current published prerequisites, and is a bachelor's degree required?
  • How long is the program, and does it run year-round?
  • When do students sit each part of the national boards?
  • What is your current accreditation status, and has there been any recent accreditation action?
  • How do students typically pay for the program?

Figures, with their sources

  • 19 Doctor of Chiropractic programs are accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education: 18 in the United States and 1 in Canada.Source: Council on Chiropractic Education directory of accredited programs; roster checked September 2026.
  • $79,200 was the median annual wage for chiropractors in May 2025. It covers every career stage and leaves out self-employed chiropractors.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Chiropractors (SOC 29-1011), May 2025 wage data; checked September 21, 2026.
  • $61,163 was the national median earnings of graduates four years after finishing a DC program.Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, CIP 51.01, first professional degree, 2022 data year; retrieved September 21, 2026.

The two earnings figures measure different things: everyone practicing, versus recent graduates at one early point. Debt and earnings for each program are at thechirotrack.com/findings.html, with their sources.

Where ChiroTrack's information comes from

Accreditation from the Council on Chiropractic Education. Wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Program debt and earnings from the Department of Education's College Scorecard. Beyond those, 336 recordings identified with people across the profession inform the guides in aggregate; no individual is quoted on this page.Source: ChiroTrack, How This Study Was Done (thechirotrack.com/method.html), published September 13, 2026; checked October 1, 2026.

What is free

Free: the guides, the directory, and the 33 founding-cohort seats. Paid: modules, bundles and mentor calls.Source: ChiroTrack, The Founding Cohort (thechirotrack.com/founding.html); checked October 1, 2026.