Transcripts and CCE Accreditation in a Chiropractic License Application

A chiropractic license application has to prove two things about your education: that your Doctor of Chiropractic program was accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), and that you completed the college work the state requires before chiropractic school. The first is usually shown by an official DC transcript or the board's own college certificate form. The second is where the states differ most, and where older graduates run into trouble.

Why does CCE accreditation matter?

Because the licensing statutes name it. Texas issues out-of-state licenses only to graduates of a program "accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education" (Tex. Occ. Code § 201.309(4)), and its rules accept programs accredited by a body that is a member of the Councils on Chiropractic Education or CCE International (22 Tex. Admin. Code § 72.3(c)). Florida requires graduation from a college "accredited by or has status with the Council on Chiropractic Education or its predecessor agency" (Fla. Stat. § 460.406(1)(c)). New York requires that the program was CCE-accredited at the time you graduated, and if you transferred, that you completed the equivalent of your final year in a fully accredited program.

The CCE's directory currently lists 19 accredited Doctor of Chiropractic programs. They include Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto and Universidad Central del Caribe in Puerto Rico, alongside the U.S. programs.

What did the CCE decide about federal recognition in 2026?

On July 10, 2026, the CCE's council voted unanimously to begin the steps to withdraw from the U.S. Department of Education recognition process, according to the CCE's July 30, 2026 announcement. As of that announcement, it had not yet submitted a formal notice of withdrawal. The CCE said that Department of Education recognition is not required for it to keep accrediting DC programs, that it will keep its recognition with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and that "the change should have no impact on CCE programs or students." Its stated reason is that no CCE-accredited program relies on CCE accreditation for federal student aid eligibility, which comes through institutional accreditation.

The CCE's recognition page shows Department of Education recognition since 1974, most recently renewed on May 20, 2022 for five years. For licensing, the statutes we cite above name the CCE itself, not its federal status. If any board responds to the change by amending a rule, we will update our state pages.

What pre-chiropractic education do boards require?

• Texas: at least 90 credit hours from a nationally accredited institution whose hours transfer to the University of Texas at Austin, not counting courses in the DC program (22 Tex. Admin. Code § 72.3(b)). The statute lets the board charge up to $50 to verify this (Tex. Occ. Code § 201.303(c)).
• New York: 90 semester hours of college study with a GPA of at least 2.75 and at least 24 semester hours in life and physical sciences, half with a lab component (NYSED requirements page).
• California: 60 pre-chiropractic college credits, shown on the board's "Verification of Prechiropractic Hours" form, plus a "Chiropractic College Certificate" from the DC program (16 CCR § 321). The application fee is $371.
• Florida: requirements depend on when you matriculated, with a bachelor's degree generally required for later matriculants and a credentials evaluation accepted in place of a U.S. degree (Fla. Stat. § 460.406(1)(d)). The board approves specific evaluation services, including World Education Services and Josef Silny & Associates, and any current member of NACES (Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B2-11.001(4)).

Several states relax these for doctors already licensed elsewhere. Montana's bachelor's degree requirement, for example, does not apply to an applicant with a license in another state. Check the route you are using, not just the exam route.

What transcript problems stall applications?

• Unofficial copies. Boards want transcripts sent by the school, or in a sealed envelope.
• A missing undergraduate school. If your 90 hours came from three colleges, the board may want all three, even if one transcript shows transfer credit from the others.
• Closed or merged colleges. Records move to a successor institution or a state archive. Finding them takes time.
• Name changes. Attach the name-change document so the board can match records.
• Coursework not documented for an exam. The NBCE requires 120 documented hours of physiotherapy instruction to sit for its Physiotherapy exam, which matters if a new state requires it. See the NBCE Physiotherapy exam.

Can I qualify if I trained outside the United States?

A program on the CCE list in Canada or Puerto Rico is CCE-accredited for these purposes. A program elsewhere raises a different question that depends on the state; New York, for example, sets out an additional-study route for graduates of unaccredited programs. We cover Canadian-trained doctors in licensing in the US for chiropractors trained in Canada.

How we handle education documents

We map each board's education requirement against your transcripts at the start, order the transcripts and board forms in the format each board wants, and follow up with the schools. That is part of every Full State License Application ($749 per state) and License by Endorsement ($499 per state). School and evaluation fees are paid to them directly. Each state's requirements are on its page in our state license index.