Palmer College of Chiropractic

Palmer College of Chiropractic is the trusted leader in Chiropractic education

Align your passion
At Palmer College of Chiropractic, you’re on the frontier of collaborative, patient-centered health care. As a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), you’ll help patients feel their best—without the use of drugs or surgery. It’s really possible to be the kind of doctor that patients respect, trust, and enjoy visiting. And the only tools required? Your own two hands. 

Align your skills
Palmer College of Chiropractic prepares its graduates for valuable, fulfilling careers that make a difference in the world—one person at a time. Chiropractors are health care professionals whose work reflects a simple yet profound philosophy: life is intelligent. This innate intelligence strives to maintain a state of health through adaptation mechanisms. This revolutionary idea was advanced 125 years ago by the founders of Palmer College of Chiropractic; today, more than 35 million Americans embrace this wellness-centered approach to care. The flourishing wellness movement bodes well for students who study at Palmer. Employment for chiropractors is projected to grow 7% from 2018–2028, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Align your knowledge
Palmer is the birthplace of chiropractic and chiropractic education. Daniel David Palmer performed the first chiropractic adjustment in 1895, developed the profession, and then founded Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, in 1897. Today, Palmer College remains the largest and most highly regarded chiropractic institution in the world. With three campuses, the College houses the world’s largest chiropractic library and research program in the United States. In addition, Palmer educates nearly one-third of all practicing chiropractors, and our alumni practice in more than 70 countries around the world.

At Palmer College, students learn from the people who literally wrote the books on chiropractic. Palmer faculty members lead the profession, authoring textbooks used in other chiropractic colleges. In fact, the chiropractic techniques taught in most chiropractic colleges—the same techniques that are used in contemporary practice around the world—are derived from the basic Palmer Package.

Align your future
You can earn your DC degree in just over three calendar years. Palmer’s academic framework blends a core curriculum, an array of technique courses, chiropractic philosophy, and hands-on clinical skills to draw you toward one distinct goal: success. In the first year, students take general science courses as well as courses that include neuroanatomy, pathology, biomechanics, and organ histology. In the second year, students take classes in chiropractic technique, X-ray, and practice management. During the third year, they dedicate their time to patient care in an outpatient clinic setting and prepare for life after graduation.

Palmer understands that the future of chiropractic rests in the hands of its students. That’s why our DC program includes more hours in anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, and neurology than typical medical school programs. Group activities, labs, simulated patient experiences, and patient-scenario discussions are a regular part of the learning experience at Palmer. Palmer students are also trained in:
• Therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises
• Nutritional, dietary, and lifestyle counseling
• Patient assessment through laboratory testing, clinical examination, and diagnostic imaging
• Determining when chiropractic treatment is or isn’t appropriate

Not to worry—you won’t spend all your time in the classroom and clinics. Each welcoming Palmer campus provides countless opportunities for students to grow as professionals, be proactive in the campus community, and follow their passions.