If you live in Tennessee and want to become a chiropractor, you will study in another state. That does not keep you out of practice at home: where you study doesn’t determine whether you can be licensed in Tennessee. The state’s licensing board publishes that it accepts graduates of every CCE-accredited school.
No accredited program in Tennessee
How this was checked
The U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) lists the institutions accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), with each one’s locations by city and state. Checked October 7, 2026, it lists no location in Tennessee.
CCE publishes its own directory of Doctor of Chiropractic programs. CCE’s site asks automated tools not to read that page, so the dated check on this page uses the federal register instead. You can open CCE’s directory yourself at the link.
Accredited programs in the states that border Tennessee
Three bordering states have a program
North. Kentucky has one: Campbellsville University’s School of Chiropractic.
South. Georgia has one: Life University, in Marietta.
West. Missouri has one: Logan University, in Chesterfield.
The other states that border Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia, have no location in the DAPIP list, checked October 7, 2026. Programs elsewhere are on the full index.
How chiropractic licensure works in Tennessee
Tennessee licenses chiropractors through the Tennessee Board of Chiropractic Examiners, within the Tennessee Department of Health. The board says it “was created in 1923 by an act of the State Legislature” and that its mission “is to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of Tennesseans by requiring those who practice the profession of chiropractic or chiropractic x-ray technology within this state to be qualified.”
On where you went to school, the board says: “The Board of Chiropractic Examiners accepts for licensure graduates from all accredited Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) schools.” So where you study doesn’t determine where you can be licensed in Tennessee. The board says it “is authorized to issue licenses to qualified candidates who have completed appropriate education and successfully completed required examinations,” and that it “interprets the laws, rules, and regulations to determine the appropriate standards of practice.”
One requirement worth knowing early: the licensure application the board links says, “If you matriculated in Chiropractic school in the year 2000 and beyond, you must show proof of a bachelor’s degree.” The form is marked “Rev. 2/17”. Source: Tennessee application for licensure, PH-3545.
Confirm current requirements with the board: Tennessee Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The Kaleidoscope, a directory we maintain, records what the board and the law publish, field by field, on its Tennessee licensure page.
If you are looking at work as a chiropractic therapy assistant in Tennessee, see the Tennessee entry in our chiropractic assistant requirements by state.
What this page will not do
It will not rank the programs in the bordering states or tell you which one to choose. A shorter move and a program that fits you are both worth something, and which matters more is your call. What this page can do is make sure you are making it with the published facts in front of you.
If cost is part of the decision, each program’s published tuition, and, where the U.S. Department of Education reports them, its median federal debt and four-year earnings, are on the Findings page. For what each program asks of you before you apply, see chiropractic school prerequisites. For the timeline question, see how long chiropractic school takes.
Sources and dates. The accredited-institution list is the U.S. Department of Education’s DAPIP register for the Council on Chiropractic Education, checked October 7, 2026. Licensure information is quoted from the Tennessee Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ page and its licensure application, both checked October 7, 2026. Requirements change; confirm with the board before you rely on anything here.
FAQ
Are there any chiropractic schools in Tennessee?
No accredited ones. The U.S. Department of Education’s database of institutions accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education lists no location in Tennessee, checked October 7, 2026.
Where do Tennessee residents go to chiropractic school?
To another state. Of the states that border Tennessee, three have a CCE-accredited program: Kentucky (Campbellsville University’s School of Chiropractic), Georgia (Life University, in Marietta) and Missouri (Logan University, in Chesterfield). Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia have none in the federal list, checked October 7, 2026.
Can you get licensed in Tennessee with an out-of-state degree?
In Tennessee, where you studied doesn’t determine whether you can be licensed. The Tennessee Board of Chiropractic Examiners says: “The Board of Chiropractic Examiners accepts for licensure graduates from all accredited Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) schools.” The board says it “is authorized to issue licenses to qualified candidates who have completed appropriate education and successfully completed required examinations.” Confirm current requirements with the board before you rely on anything here.
Do you need a bachelor’s degree to be licensed in Tennessee?
The board’s licensure application, a form marked “Rev. 2/17”, says: “If you matriculated in Chiropractic school in the year 2000 and beyond, you must show proof of a bachelor’s degree.” Checked October 7, 2026. Confirm current requirements with the board.
Chiropractic schools by state: California · Connecticut · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Minnesota · Missouri · New York · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Puerto Rico · South Carolina · Texas · the full index
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All Chiropractic Schools
Every accredited program, never ranked.
Schools in Kentucky
Campbellsville University.
Schools in Georgia
Life University.
Schools in Missouri
Logan University.
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