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Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) Overview

Logan University named Top Chiropractic College 2026, awarded by EducationInsider

Train with Depth. Graduate with Confidence.

You came here to take care of people. Logan gets you to your first patient faster than almost any chiropractic program in the country — clinical skills courses start your very first trimester, and they fill 40% of your first year.

By graduation you'll be fluent in four core chiropractic techniques and trained in up to eleven more. Fifteen in all. That's more than any other DC program in the U.S., and the ones you choose shape the practice you build.

Ten Trimesters.

About three years and four months from your first anatomy lab to carrying your own caseload.  Full-time or part-time — your call.

IN-PERSON CLASSES

Hands-On Instruction

3 Years, 4 Months

Program  Length

$15,070 Per Trimester

Flat Rate For 12+ Credit Hours

NEXT  START DATE

January 11, 2027

Three Paths to Becoming a Doctor

Wherever you're starting from, there's a way in.

Start to Finish at Logan
Earn your BS in Human Biology and your Doctor of Chiropractic in six years, all on one campus.
Starting With Your Bachelors?
After three years at Logan: you're done.
Start With An Associates
In only four years at Logan: finish the BS in Human Biology, then move straight into the Doctor of Chiropractic program.

What You Get at Logan

  • Fifteen techniques — four core, eleven elective. More than any other U.S. program.
  • Preceptorships that mean something — collegiate and professional athletics, VA facilities, integrative health clinics.
  • More than 45,000 patient visits a year — across Logan's community health centers.
  • Faculty who still practice — 90.7% hold terminal degrees, and many still see patients.

Ready to see if you qualify? Everything you need is on Admission Requirements.

Hands-on from day one

Clinical skills courses start in your very first trimester.

Technique mastery

Learn 15 evidence-informed techniques — the most in the U.S.

Chiro Connection

Speak with a practicing chiropractor through our mentor program.

Integrated success

Verbal, written and clinical reasoning skills for modern integrative health.

Curriculum

Ten trimesters, and every year you spend more of your time with patients and less of it in a lecture hall.

Logan students practising adjusting techniques on each other in a technique labYear one

Trimesters 1–3

35% hands-on

Build your foundation in anatomy, biochemistry and physiology — with faculty-guided methods labs from your very first trimester. Your hands are on people from the start.

Logan student and instructor working through a spinal adjustment togetherYear two

Trimesters 4–6

32% hands-on

Go deeper into clinical diagnostics across neurological and internal disorders. You'll add the finance and ethics coursework that owning a practice actually takes.

Logan chiropractic intern treating a patient in a Logan health centerYear three

Trimesters 7–9

68% patient care

Rotations and clinical management. You carry your own caseload, and you graduate ready to practice — not ready to start learning.

Final Trimester

Trimester 10

Your final trimester completes the Doctor of Chiropractic program.

Add a Master's on the Same Timeline

Dual enrollment lets you finish a master's alongside your DC — Nutrition & Human Performance, Sports Science & Rehabilitation, Strength & Conditioning, or Health Informatics. Same graduation date, two credentials.

Finish the MS-SSR sports and emergency-care lab and you're eligible to test for Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician certification from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians.

Fifteen Techniques. Yours to Choose From.

Four core techniques every Logan graduate carries into practice, plus eleven electives you choose from. Fifteen in all — more than any other DC program in the country.

This is where you specialize. The electives you pick shape the practice you build and the patients you're equipped to treat, whether that's athletes, families, older adults, or a general practice that sees all of them.

15 Adjustment Techniques

Select a vertebra to read what each technique teaches.

  • 4 core techniques
  • 11 elective techniques

NOTE: In addition to the 15 techniques, our program provides 12 elective courses

Hands-on from day one

40% of your first year is spent in clinical skills courses, so you build clinical confidence long before graduation.

Clinical Experience

Trimester 7 is the one students remember.

That's the Health Center Induction Ceremony — the day you walk into the Montgomery Health Center and start treating real patients under faculty clinicians. By Trimester 8 you move into Logan's outpatient health centers and spend a full year treating the public.

In Trimesters 9 and 10, you can step outside the campus system entirely through the External Clinical Rotation Program. Private practice, hospital, VA facility — you pick the setting that matches where you want to end up.

Where You Practice

You learn technique on the equipment you'll use in practice.

  • VA Medical Centers, including Jefferson Barracks
  • Affinia Healthcare and CareSTL Health
  • Stephen A. Orthwein Center at Paraquad
  • Harris-Stowe State University
  • St. Louis Community College
  • Norman W. Kettner, DC Imaging Center

Flat-bench and Activator tables are in the campus modular classrooms; Diversified tables are in Mabee Halls at the Purser Center and in the Administration Building. The Anatomy Lab and Lecture Amphitheater support technique instruction throughout the program.

Beyond the Fifteen: Elective Courses

The fifteen techniques are how you adjust. These are the clinical skills and certifications you layer on top, shaped around the patients you want to serve.

Certifications

Acupuncture — Logan's Basic 100-Hour Acupuncture Certification Course covers Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, meridian systems and modern clinical application through lecture, demonstration and supervised hands-on training.

Dry Needling — Thin needles into myofascial trigger points to improve blood flow, reduce pain and restore range of motion in restricted muscles.

Assessment and Clinical Protocols

Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) — A movement-based diagnostic system for identifying the source of musculoskeletal pain. Evaluates seven fundamental movement patterns and separates mobility problems from motor-control problems.

Advanced Sport Concussion Management — Evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of concussion in physically active populations.

Pediatric Management — Extends the infant physical examination to spinal and cranial evaluation, tethered oral tissue assessment and primitive reflex testing. Builds the psychomotor skills for spinal adjusting, cranial maneuvers, soft tissue and fascial release, and viscerosomatic methods.

Practice and Population Electives

Clinical Care for the Pediatric Athlete · Occupational Consulting · Telehealth · The Healthcare Provider as an Educator · Pediatric Nutrition · Minor Surgery · Introduction to Sports Medicine · Evaluation and Management of Military & Veterans · Female Health and Wellness

Special technique course fees apply to ART ($850) and SFMA ($348) — see Tuition & Aid.

Licensure & Boards

You won't face your boards alone. Preparation is built into the curriculum, most exams are proctored right here on campus, and your Success Coach maps the licensure requirements for the state where you plan to practice.

Logan's DC program meets the educational requirements for licensure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The Four NBCE Parts, Plus Physiotherapy
  • Part I — Basic sciences. Anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pathology and microbiology, taken after your foundational trimesters.
  • Part II — Clinical sciences. Diagnosis, imaging, principles of practice.
  • Part III — Clinical competency. Case management, patient communication, clinical decision-making and diagnostic imaging.
  • Part IV — Practical skills. Technique and case management, assessed hands-on. Part IV testing is held in Greeley, Colorado.
  • Physiotherapy — a separate exam required by many state boards.

Career Outlook

You're betting on yourself. Here's how that bet has gone for the students who came before you.

Our students finish what they start. 84% complete the degree within two years of the standard timeline — comfortably above the 70% benchmark the Council on Chiropractic Education sets.

And they pass. 86% of our last four graduating classes passed every board part or were licensed within six months of graduating. That's 785 graduates out of 918, against an 80% benchmark.

Then they go to work. 91% of our Spring 2022 graduates were working in the field within nine months.

The Timing Has Never Been Better

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects chiropractor employment to grow 10% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the average for all occupations. More people are looking for natural, drug-free, whole-person care every year, and they need someone qualified to give it to them.

Where Logan Graduates Practice
  • Private and group practice — build your own clinic, buy into an established one, or join a multi-doctor group.
  • Integrated and hospital-based care — working alongside physicians, physical therapists and pain-management teams.
  • Sports and human performance — collegiate, professional and Olympic settings.
  • Specialty care — pediatrics, rehabilitation, occupational health, veteran care.
  • Radiology — a three-year on-campus residency at the Kettner Imaging Center leading to the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology exam.

Tuition & Aid

$15,070

Trimester flat-rate tuition

12 or more credit hours; underload is $1,257 per credit hour

Tuition rates are in effect for the fall, spring and summer trimesters, and new rates are set each year beginning with the fall trimester. Amounts below come from the Logan University academic catalog and are estimates; the Finance Office provides official tuition and fee amounts.

PROGRAM & OTHER FEES

Activity fee
$50
Each trimester
ART special technique course fee*
$850
SFMA special technique course fee*
$348
Doctor's bag
$1,270
Trimester 1 students only; includes the diagnostic kit and white coat

* Additional fees for these elective courses.

Administrative fees

PAYMENT PLAN
$25
LATE REGISTRATION
$100
LATE PAYMENT
$100
Transcripts
$10
ID replacement
$15

Enrollment status & aid

  • Full-time is 12 or more credit hours; less than half-time is 5 or fewer credit hours.
  • Federal loans and in-school deferment require at least 6 credit hours that apply to your degree.

$15,070 per trimester. It's a flat rate capped at 12 credit hours — so if you carry 15 or 18, you pay the same as 12. Take the heavier load and it costs you nothing extra. Below 12 credit hours you're billed $1,257 per credit hour.

NBCE board exam costs are paid directly to the NBCE as each part comes due, and they're added to that trimester's cost of attendance — so you can borrow additional loan funds to cover them. Current fees are at nbce.org.

Scholarships and Aid

Money should not be the reason you don't do this.

  • President's Scholarship — $18,000 total, $1,800 per trimester. 3.75+ GPA.
  • Dean's Scholarship — $16,000 total, $1,600 per trimester. 3.50–3.74 GPA.
  • International Chiropractic Scholarship — $20,000 total, $2,000 per trimester across ten trimesters.
  • Future Leopard Weekend visit scholarship — $1,000 just for visiting campus and making your deposit.
  • ScholarshipUniverse — matches you to outside scholarships you might not know exist.

Financial Aid Basics

You'll typically get your aid offer about two months before classes start, once your documents are in. Half-time enrollment is a minimum of six credit hours per trimester.

If you borrow a new federal Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2026, two repayment plans will be available to you, including Tiered Standard Repayment with terms of 10 to 25 years. Out-of-state grants have previously been available to DC students from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi — worth checking with your home state. On-campus work-study is available if you have financial need. Your aid status, awards and documents all live in NetPartner.

Logan's Federal School Code is 004703. As a graduate or professional student you're independent for FAFSA purposes — no parental information required. Excess credit balance refunds go out by direct deposit through Student Accounts.

Questions? The Office of Financial Aid is here: 877-408-6956 · FinancialAid@logan.edu

Yellow Ribbon Program

Logan funds 50% of any unmet tuition and fee charges for qualified applicants, up to a maximum contracted amount of $10,000. What you receive varies with the cost of your program and any tuition-specific scholarships already awarded, and a Yellow Ribbon award can't be combined with other Logan awards to create a tuition surplus.

To qualify you must be a degree-seeking student with net tuition and fee charges above the VA's annual maximum rate, be eligible for Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits at the 100% level, maintain good academic standing, and file proof of eligibility with Logan's certifying official. Awards renew each year the program agreement renews. Logan may reduce or discontinue awards at the end of an academic year, and contributions aren't adjusted after the last day to drop without a W. Veterans submit a benefit registration form every trimester; transferring students file a change of program or place of training form.

Admission Requirements

Logan offers three ways in, so your transcript decides your pathway rather than closing a door. You'll also need a transcript from a USDE- or CHEA-recognized institution and a signed Acknowledgement of Technical Standards. Send transcripts electronically to document.admissions@logan.edu or by mail.

Three Pathways to Acceptance
  • Pathway 1 — a bachelor's degree, cumulative GPA 3.0 or higher.
  • Pathway 2 — 90+ credit hours, cumulative GPA 3.0 or higher.
  • Pathway 3 — 90+ credit hours including 24 in life and physical sciences, cumulative GPA 2.75 to 2.99.

Not sure which pathway fits? Call us at 636-230-1750 or email Admissions@logan.edu and let's talk it through.

How to Apply

  1. 1Apply at apply.logan.edu. The $50 fee is waived for referred applicants through our alumni Refer a Student program.
  2. 2Authorize your transcripts. Logan requests them and pays for them on your behalf — at no cost to you.
  3. 3Talk to an advisor on a one-on-one call.
  4. 4Secure your seat with a $300 deposit once you're accepted.

Next start: January 11, 2027. Cohorts begin every September, January and April/May.

Our Professors

Hear from some of our professors in the Chiropractic College that you will be taught by.

Farzana Karim, PhD

Assistant Professor

Professor Karim teaches the basic sciences with the clinic in mind, framing anatomy and physiology around the patients you'll treat from trimester one.

Weston Holzinger, DC, CS

Assistant Professor

Professor Holzinger is a practicing chiropractor who coaches your adjusting technique beside you in the skills labs.

Daryl Ridgeway, DC

Chair of the Clinical Sciences Division

Professor Ridgeway keeps coursework grounded in evidence and real patient care, from lecture through the health centers.

Learning Outcomes

The Purpose of the College of Chiropractic is to prepare successful chiropractic primary care physicians to provide competent, comprehensive, patient-centered care with integrity.

Five Logan Learning Outcomes for Graduates

  • COMMUNICATION – exhibit verbal and written communication skills that promote integrative health care relationships.
  • CRITICAL REASONING – demonstrate critical reasoning framed by the principles of evidence-informed clinical practice
  • PATIENT-CENTERED HEALTH CARE – demonstrate appreciation of the needs and preferences of patients as individuals.
  • PROFESSIONALISM – demonstrate ethical and responsible health care and business practices.
  • FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS – demonstrate knowledge and skills foundational to evidence-based, patient-centered health care.

Accreditation.

Logan University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Doctor of Chiropractic program is awarded programmatic accreditation by the Council on Chiropractic Education.

Logan University College of Chiropractic and College of Health Sciences licensure boards seal
Higher Learning Commission230 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 7-500Chicago, IL 60604800-621-7440
National Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Council on Chiropractic Education10105 E. Via Linda, Suite 103–3642Scottsdale, AZ 85258-4321480-443-8877

FAQ

What if I don't meet the admission requirements?
Check all three pathways first: Pathway 3 accepts a cumulative GPA of 2.75 to 2.99 with 90+ credit hours, including 24 in life and physical sciences. Still not sure where you stand? Call Admissions at 636-230-1750 or email Admissions@logan.edu and we'll talk it through.
I'm applying from outside the U.S. What do I need?
We'll walk you through I-20 issuance and F-1 student visa guidance. You'll submit a course-by-course transcript evaluation (SpanTran, WES, AES or ECE) with a U.S. 4.0-scale GPA equivalency, demonstrate English proficiency where required (TOEFL iBT 79+), and provide a Statement of Motivation plus proof of financial resources for at least one year of study. To secure your I-20 you'll need to be accepted into the DC program and submit a Financial Obligation Document — ideally about two months before your start date. International DC students are eligible for a $20,000 scholarship, paid at $2,000 per trimester across ten trimesters.
Can I transfer credit from another chiropractic program?
Yes, from CCE-accredited institutions. Your coursework needs to be at least 80% equivalent to Logan's course in credit hours, content and depth, with a minimum final grade of C. Clinical practicum hours don't transfer — you'll complete all of those at Logan. If you've taken any part of the NBCE, have an official NBCE transcript sent to your admissions coordinator.
What courses will I take?
You'll complete all required courses plus elective credit hours as laid out in the DC Academic Degree Plan, which runs from foundational sciences through clinical sciences and into full-time clinic.
What counts as full-time?
Twelve or more credit hours per trimester. Part-time is 6 to 11. That threshold sets two things: whether you get flat-rate tuition, and your financial-aid half-time status. Twelve is the minimum, not the typical load: most DC students carry 24 or more credit hours a trimester to follow the prescribed curriculum. Take less than that and you can run out of student loan eligibility before you finish the program.
What academic policies govern my progression?
DC-specific policies cover first-term GPA requirements, progression, maximum credit hours per trimester and reinstatement — Academic Affairs Policies AA.003 through AA.006. All four are published in full in the Logan policy library.
Where do I find my course times and books?
Course numbers, section times, instructors and required texts for every trimester go up on the Logan Self-Serve homepage before registration opens. A book voucher of up to $1,000 lets you secure your materials ahead of the first day. Academic calendars — including the three-year summary calendar — carry every registration window and holiday. Questions go to AcademicAffairs@logan.edu.
What happens at orientation?
You'll start with a two-day New Student Orientation, then the Commitment to Excellence Ceremony — where you receive your blue coat and take an oath committing to your training as a chiropractic student physician. It's a real moment. Academic Success Coaches and transition counselors stay with you from that day through graduation.
How do tuition refunds work if my enrollment changes?
DC tuition is charged at a flat rate. If you withdraw completely, you'll receive a refund on a published schedule. If you reduce your course load to 11 credits or fewer, that's treated as a change in enrollment status rather than a withdrawal — and you get a 100% tuition refund on the credits dropped below the 12-credit flat-rate minimum, as long as it's done by Friday of the second week of the trimester.
What board exams will I take?
The four NBCE parts plus Physiotherapy, registered and paid directly through NBCE.org. Parts I, II, III and Physiotherapy are administered right here at Logan; Part IV testing is held in Greeley, Colorado. You can sit the other parts at any NBCE-approved site in the U.S. or Puerto Rico.
Can I specialize after the DC?
Absolutely. Logan runs a three-year on-campus radiology residency at the Kettner Imaging Center that leads to the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology exam — and dual enrollment lets you finish a master's alongside your DC. Beyond Logan's residency, you can also pursue other diplomate programs offered at other schools or online. Ask Admissions about dual-enrollment options at 314-207-2300.
How does Logan report program accountability?

The Council on Chiropractic Education requires an 80%+ four-year NBCE pass rate and a 70%+ two-year completion rate. Logan publishes both, in full. Logan's four-year NBCE result is 86% (785 of 918 graduates), and two-year degree completion is 84% (471 of 561 students). Source: Logan University Institutional Research.

NBCE Licensing Exam Success Rates 2022–2025

Goal: The College of Chiropractic will achieve 80% or higher for the four (4) most recent years’ NBCE licensing exam rates in accordance with CCE Policy 56.

NBCE licensing exam success rates by calendar year, 2022 through 2025.
Calendar Year (Last 4 years)NUMBER OF GRADUATES IN CALENDAR YEAR# PASSING LICENSING EXAM OR LICENSED TO PRACTICE WITHIN SIX MO. GRADUATION% PASSING OR LICENSED WITHIN SIX MONTHS
202223820285%
202323318881%
202421619590%
202523120087%
Total91878586%
What is CCE Policy 56?
CCE Policy 56 is a Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) policy that requires every accredited Doctor of Chiropractic program to meet minimum standards for student success and to publish its results. These results include the percentage of students who complete the program and the percentage of graduates who pass their national board licensing exams, so prospective students can compare programs. Here is a link to Policy 56.
Is this program accredited?

Logan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits degree-granting institutions across nineteen states. Institutional accreditation covers every Logan degree program, including this one.

Logan University College of Chiropractic and College of Health Sciences licensure boards seal
Higher Learning Commission230 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 7-500Chicago, IL 60604800-621-7440
National Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Council on Chiropractic Education10105 E. Via Linda, Suite 103–3642Scottsdale, AZ 85258-4321480-443-8877

Logan Student Testimonials

Students and faculty on what clinical education at Logan actually feels like — from first trimester through graduation.

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