This spring, Palmer College of Chiropractic announced it will no longer enroll new students to its Northern California campus, and it plans to cease operations when the College’s building lease expires in June 2025. What led to the decision, and how does this move support the College’s strategy to better serve students?
Fall 1980 was a time of opportunity for Palmer College of Chiropractic. The year before, the College had achieved accreditation by the Council on Chiropractic Education, fixing in place a key piece of Dr. Dave Palmer’s legacy. With the dawn of a new decade, the first and best chiropractic college in the world was stepping boldly in the direction of its next frontier, establishing a campus in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley.
Of course, Palmer wasn’t alone in sighting potential in the Bay Area. Forty-two years later, the region has been transformed by the explosion of telecommunications, information technology and e-commerce. Google, Meta, Cisco, eBay, PayPal — these and other tech companies that today call Silicon Valley home were yet to be founded when Palmer planted its flag in California. Now, they dominate the economy both locally and beyond, making San Jose one of the country’s most expensive places to live, learn and do business.
“Ultimately, that astronomical growth has put tremendous pressure on nonprofit institutions like ours, making it harder and harder to ensure that our students are able to match the full educational experience we know we can deliver on our Main and Florida campuses,” says Dennis Marchiori, D.C., Ph.D. (Main, ’90), Palmer’s chancellor and CEO.
It’s a trend Dr. Marchiori and the board have studied closely for more than a decade as they evaluate the College’s opportunities across campuses — opportunities to serve students better and live up to the role of The Trusted Leader in Chiropractic Education®. The decision to phase out Palmer West grows directly out of those considerations, with many tough conversations among the College’s leaders along the way.
“As confident as we are that the needs of current and future students are best served by focusing on the unparalleled opportunities that exist on Palmer’s Main and Florida campuses, there’s nothing simple about this decision,” Dr. Marchiori says. “We know there will be questions and mixed feelings, but we trust the Palmer community will understand our decision and the factors that played into it.”
“Palmer College graduates, no matter the campus they called home, are all part of the same Palmer Nation family — part of the largest group of practicing chiropractors today,” adds Barbara Melbourne, J.D., vice chancellor for institutional advancement. “We’re so proud of everything West students, alumni and faculty have achieved over the last four decades and will go on to achieve.”
“Chiropractors are businesspeople who appreciate the rewards — and the challenges — of starting, running and selling practices,” says Kevin Cunningham, D.C., Ph.D. (Main, ’88), Palmer’s vice chancellor for student affairs. “That’s why we teach our students the business of chiropractic — so they can make wise, strategic decisions for themselves and their patients.”
Indeed, Palmer students learn that an unsustainable business environment takes a toll not only on the doctor of chiropractic who runs the practice but also on the patients who come there seeking care. The same is true of the financial management of a college campus: when the numbers no longer add up, the college cannot fully pursue its mission and vision, and the student experience suffers.
“As leaders of a nonprofit institution, Palmer’s board of trustees and executive team have a fiduciary responsibility to the College, its communities and the profession to be forward-thinking in its business approach,” says Trevor Ireland, D.C. (Main, ’70), chairperson of the board.
Cost of living is one crucial factor the board considered. In San Jose, the cost of living is more than double the national average, which itself sits 20 percent above the cost of living in Davenport. Housing costs are particularly high in San Jose — four times the national average and eight times the cost of housing in Davenport. “All told, we’ve calculated that Palmer students can save nearly $40,000 by studying in Davenport over San Jose,” says Dr. Cunningham.
Yet for him, relieving the financial burden on students isn’t just about putting them in a better position when they graduate — it’s also about making sure they’re able to engage with all the opportunities afforded by a Palmer College education while they’re here.
“When the costs of studying in San Jose start making burdensome demands on students’ time and energy or they can’t afford to live near enough to campus to really be present there, it becomes harder for them to get the same well-rounded academic experience as their peers on our other campuses,” he says. “These are burdens we will no longer be asking students to bear as we find ways to keep offering a chiropractic education that is accessible and affordable.”
The College’s own fixed costs to deliver our educational program are another key consideration. Palmer pays a premium to simply exist in such a high-cost market for goods and services. The College searched for more affordable alternatives in the region without success.
“Part of Palmer’s strength as an educational institution has always been its ability to respond and adapt to evolving scientific understanding, pedagogical philosophies, technological advancements, and student-learning needs,” says Dr. Marchiori. “In San Jose, though, that flexibility is constrained at, quite literally, a foundational level based on the region.”
The decision is not simply reactive, however — it is ultimately proactive, strategic and forward-looking. By phasing out the West campus and leaning into the growth and value offered by its Main and Florida campuses, Palmer is better positioned to meet its mission and vision for the future, including educating students from the Western U.S. and Canadian market.
For example, the brand-new $10.2 million Experiential Learning Center* that opened this spring at the Fountainhead is already revolutionizing how Palmer students learn. With five technique labs and 20 stations for hands-on work as well as two new anatomy labs, Palmer’s Main campus is able to offer an experience the College can’t build in California. And in Port Orange, where enrollment has steadily climbed over the last 20 years, Palmer just unveiled a new 47,000–square foot academic building with state of-the-art lecture halls, classrooms and labs — a $17 million campus investment.
“Prospective students have made it clear: they want the experience and amenities we’ve built and can offer at Palmer Main and Florida,” says Dan Weinert, D.C., Ph.D. (Main, ’96), college provost, who explains the enrollment trend that some current West students are transferring to the Fountainhead after initially starting their Palmer education in California. According to him, even just providing campus space where students can and want to gather to learn socially makes a world of difference. “Here in Davenport, every day I see students clustered by the dozens in the Learning Commons on their break, continuing to bond and learn from one another. That’s powerful.”
“To keep making investments like those in the future, we have to know our priorities and follow through on them, even when it’s difficult to do so,” says Dr. Marchiori. “Whether you look at D.D., B.J. and Mabel, or Dr. Dave, Palmer’s leaders have always strived to make the best decisions for current and future stakeholders, and we’re not about to stop now.”
“We made this announcement when we did for the sake of full transparency,” says Dr. Weinert. “We wanted students to be able to make an informed decision about the best way to both start and complete their Palmer education.”
Striving to take the same care in carrying out the decision as it did in making it, Palmer plans to provide current Palmer West students the opportunity to finish their degrees in California through March 2025. Eligible students will also have the option to attend Palmer’s Main or Florida campus.
“We plan for Palmer West to remain open and operational for three more years, and while it does, students can expect the same uncompromised chiropractic education they’ve always experienced, no matter the campus they’ve studied at,” says Dr. Weinert.
The College will honor its commitment to do what’s best for students and their families. Along with offering the expertise of financial aid officers, student support services will be available to help students understand all of the options available to them. Student support services will remain in place while the campus is open.
“We will work with each and every student to understand their unique situation and needs,” says Dr. Cunningham. “We want them to be completely confident in how they move forward.”
Just as the decision to open a campus in California was the right decision for the Palmer College of 1980, the decision to stop enrolling students in California is the right decision for Palmer today.
And today is no less a time of opportunity for the college — in fact, Palmer’s opportunity is greater now than it ever has been. One-hundred and twenty-five years after its founding, Palmer is making a strategic decision based on the strength of its position and its vision for the future. It’s a decision that stands to benefit students today, over the next three years and for decades into the future.
“We look to all our alumni to share in that vision with us,” says Melbourne. “We can only achieve it together, with their confidence and support.”
“For many, including all of us at Palmer, this moment feels like the end of an important chapter in Palmer history,” says Dr. Marchiori. “It is also the start of another chapter yet to be written as we move forward together as proud Palmer graduates from Main, Florida and West campuses. One thing is certain: we will continue to evaluate the opportunities available and act in our students’ best interests. That’s what The Trusted Leader in Chiropractic Education® does.”
*The Experiential Learning Center was dedicated May 31, 2023 as the William J. & Mary A. Kiernan Hall – Anatomy & Technique Center.
