Colorado College of Chiropractic

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

This post relates to a chiropractic college that existed during a short period in the state of Colorado. It’s a reminder of the importance in choosing a chiropractic school that has a strong historical background, good accreditation status, and hopefully a solid financial structure, when making the choice of a career as doctor of chiropractic.

The Colorado College of Chiropractic was part of Marycrest International University and it was located in Denver, Colorado.

The school was closed by the end of its 2001 2002 school year, as a result of continued declines in student enrollment, as well as persistent financial difficulties.

On May 17 of 2000, Marycrest International University announced plans to develop a doctoral program in chiropractic, which was approved by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

According to the announcement the school was to begin offering courses in chiropractic during the fall of 2000. After receiving approval from the North Central Association (NCA), the hiring of faculty and staff, and the recruitment of perspective chiropractic students was underway.

The chiropractic program was located at a sister institution, Teikyo Loretto Heights, in Denver. The Colorado chiropractic school was to be focused on a contemporary approach to chiropractic in an evidenced-based environment, according to Dean Dr. Robert Davison.

If you were to visit to the chiropractic site in 2001, you’d be greeted by a welcome message that read…

At Colorado College of Chiropractic, we’re shaping a new generation of chiropractors. We’re building on what’s come before. We’re breaking through barriers. We’re training primary members of the health care team. We are a growing group of professionals who are dedicated to the vision of taking chiropractic beyond where it has ever been before.

We’re taking chiropractic Beyond the Expected.

Unfortunately for the institution, the school could not keep up in the increasingly competitive environments that is natural amongst chiropractic schools in the United States.

This school was unlike the Westside Manhattan Chiropractic College that I wrote about in July. It’s rare to see a new chiropractic learning institution open up in the United States. I believe the most recent was the Palmer Florida campus in Port Orange. Some chiropractic schools have histories that date back to the early 1900s.

The Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport Iowa, was the first existence, and is often referred to as the Fountainhead. Schools like Western States and the Cleveland chiropractic colleges have histories that root back to the founder of chiropractic himself, magnetic healer DD Palmer. From what I understand Dr. Palmer helped create the Portland school of chiropractic, later becoming Western States, and was on the faculty of Ratladge school of chiropractic in Los Angeles, which became CCCLA in the 1950s.

I’m curious if there are any practicing Ratledge graduates in the California area.