$How much does Chiropractic School Cost?$
It costs a lot.
But that is the reality of any professional program. At a typical med school in the USA you are looking at $200K+ worth of debt when you finish school. The median tuition cost of a 1st-year med program alone is almost $60,000 (1). Compare that to the University of Western States tuition of under $40,000 for the first year (4 quarters) (2).
Chiropractic will tend to be a bit more modest, but you are still looking at 6-figure debt in tuition alone, not including living expenses. Is it worth it? That is going to depend on you. If you hustle, you can pay off your debt quickly after graduation, but it is no small feat.
Now... I am not writing this to scare you, I am only writing this to give you a better idea of what you are getting yourself into and hopefully help you plan out your finances. WARNING: I AM NOT A FINANCIAL PLANNER. I am not ever good at math. Seriously... one of my worst subjects. Still don't know what a 'derivative' is. But I do know how much that I am spending and hopefully that gives you something to work with.
(NOTE: all expenses are in USD).
Tuition
(For some reason this is the picture that came up when I searched for images of 'Tuition', so I decided to roll with it...)
As a 4th Quarter Student, here is what I have spent on tuition with associated fees so far:
Q1: $9,943.
Q2: $9,928. Canadian Exchange Discount: -$896.60; International Student Grant: -$1,000. Total: $8,031.40
Q3: $11,047. Canadian Exchange Discount: -$953.40; International Student Grant: -$1,000. Total: $9,093.40
For Quarter 3 you are required to purchase a Doc Bag ($880). You are allowed to opt out, but if you do so then be aware that you are required to acquire all of these items on your own. I chose not to opt out, nor did I upgrade to the higher-end opthalmoscope.
Note: To maintain the Canadian Exchange Discount and International Student Grant you will need to maintain a GPA of above 2.5.
Tuition Total so far: $27,067.80
Paying Tuition:
If possible, I recommend paying tuition on a rewards credit card (paying tuition on CC is only an option for international students). This allows you to do a few of things: 1) delay when the $$ actually comes out of your bank account, because you can pay the balance when your statement is due; 2) pay at a better exchange rate (this is obviously subject to your specific CC terms and conditions); 3) get some cash back into your pocket.
Other Expenses (Approx Values):
- Nitrile Gloves for anatomy lab (I double-gloved every lab): $15/Q - Campus Store
- #22 Scalpel Blades for anatomy lab (in my lab group we rotated who bought blades: $10 - Campus Store
- Scrubs - $15 - Amazon (during my quarter the school provided scrubs for lab hours, but it was still nice to have my own pair for weekends/exams/etc,)
Living Expenses
I tend to live modestly, but spend more money in other areas than my fellow students (see Seminars section below). I also tend to spend more money on groceries than necessary, which I consider a reasonable expense for me. You can easily spend 25-50% less on groceries if you live the KD lifestyle (for the American readers that's Canadian for Mac&Cheese).
Here is a breakdown of my living expenses:
Rent: $650/mt
Rent: My rent and living situation is SUPER inexpensive. I live in a house with 3 roommates, all of whom started at UWS at the same time as I did (5 points for the use of the word 'whom'). Many of my classmates, however, pay closer to $700 + utilities, usually for a 2 Bedroom apartment. There are others who will pay closer to $1,200/mt + utilities, but they usually have 1 Bedrooms. There is always a give-and-take, so decide for yourself what you value and how you want to live.
Out of all of the places I have been, Sandstone Manor tends to have one of the best balance between cost and living quality (biggest downside though: no A/C),
Groceries: $150-350/mt
I tend to buy the better beef, the higher quality chicken, the free range eggs and a ton of vegetables. Depending on the month, my grocery bill will vary dramatically (especially when I am lazy and I live for a couple days off of Costco pizza). I shop most often at Trader Joe's, WinCo and Costco, with an occasional stop at Fred Meyer's.
Trader Joe's has great prices for high-quality meats and produce.
WinCo is CHEAP, and the quality of the produce and meat shows it. Usually, I only buy nonperishables or household items.
Costco is Costco. Inexpensive and HUGE quantities.
Fred Meyer is more of a 'convenience' shopping trip when my roommates are going.
I also drink an ungodly amount of coffee... Which adds up pretty quickly. If I was less lazy and more proactive I could easily save myself and $50+/mt.
Entertainment: $200-300/mt
Entertainment: this includes every time I go out to eat, buy beer, hit up a Timbers game, etc. This is definitely where you can either build or break the bank. Remember to live your life a little but don't go crazy otherwise, you will get to Q8 and have to scrape by.
Travel: $150-300/semester
Since I live so close to school and drive an economical car, I barely spend any money on travel. I broke my travel costs down based on semester, rather than per month because I feel it gives a more accurate representation. The estimate above includes driving to and from school, groceries, entertainment, etc., and about 2 trips home per quarter including gas and food along the way (usually one on a weekend and one during semester break). The estimate above doesn't include my expense while I am back in Canada.
My Running Monthly Average right now is about $1500/month for living expenses.
Keep in mind, this is living pretty lean. But I definitely make up for it with other expense... There are always additional hidden expenses, no matter how hard you plan. I didn't include any of my business expenses or car insurance or other personal expenses of the sort.
A note on Car Insurance for Canadians: I kept my insurance through ICBC (via Investors Group). They have an option for out-of-country insurance. It is a bit more expensive and you can't let anyone else drive your car, but it seems to be the most common option I see classmates choosing. It costs me ~$225/mt (but I don't have the 10-year driver discount yet). In order to get local car insurance (which is possible), you need to give up your Canadian drivers license and get an Oregon one. To me, it isn't worth the hassle.
My take on Seminars
Extra education is a big part of becoming a great clinician. I, unabashedly, am a seminar junkie. Throughout my education I have given up quite a few weekends to learn from clinicians and experts in the field.
You don't need to go to all of them, but there are definitely some that are worth both your dollars and your weekends.
I wrote a full post dedicated to which seminars I have taken, which ones I recommend you take and when I think you should take them. You can check that out here: "What Seminars should I go to?".
As a general rule, I recommend being willing to take 1 seminar per quarter. Depending on the seminar, this could cost anywhere from $50-$1,000/quarter. Usually, thought, they are less than $500 and closer to $275 for the weekend. Setting that money aside and dedicating it to furthering your education can and will make you a better clinician.
Closing Thoughts...
All-in-all, there is no other way to put it: chiropractic school is expensive. But it is also an investment in your future. If you plan it out right, you can not only come out without excessive debt, but you can enjoy yourself in the process.
If you ever have any questions about school, living in the US or literally anything else, hit me up.
I also encourage you to check out more about me here. Never hesitate to give me a shout.
- Mark
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