Chiropractic: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 51.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 28 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 6 | 41 | $56,118 | $57,185 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 17 | 2,666 | $60,046 | $61,163 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| National University of Health Sciences IL · Private, nonprofit · 148 graduates measured | $67,395 | $60,998 | Data unavailable |
| D'Youville University NY · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $53,796 | $51,918 | Data unavailable |
| Cleveland University-Kansas City KS · Private, nonprofit · 203 graduates measured | $53,784 | $52,614 | Data unavailable |
| Texas Chiropractic College Foundation Inc TX · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $52,282 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale FL · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $51,563 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Western States OR · Private, nonprofit · 163 graduates measured | $72,789 | $69,126 | Data unavailable |
| Northeast College of Health Sciences NY · Private, nonprofit · 208 graduates measured | $68,316 | $73,854 | Data unavailable |
| Parker University TX · Private, nonprofit · 426 graduates measured | $63,621 | $62,795 | Data unavailable |
| Palmer College of Chiropractic IA · Private, nonprofit · 997 graduates measured | $62,668 | $62,214 | Data unavailable |
| Life Chiropractic College West CA · Private, nonprofit · 195 graduates measured | $59,883 | $55,900 | Data unavailable |
| Logan University MO · Private, nonprofit · 387 graduates measured | $56,943 | $60,806 | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern Health Sciences University MN · Private, nonprofit · 246 graduates measured | $54,863 | $60,506 | Data unavailable |
| Southern California University of Health Sciences CA · Private, nonprofit · 116 graduates measured | $54,283 | $56,605 | Data unavailable |
| Life University GA · Private, nonprofit · 622 graduates measured | $53,601 | $57,734 | Data unavailable |
| Sherman College of Chiropractic SC · Private, nonprofit · 187 graduates measured | $48,465 | $44,874 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Chiropractic
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Chiropractors | $79,200 | +8.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 51.0101 Chiropractic