How to Choose a Massage School

Finding the Best Massage Schools can seem like an overwhelming process.  It is hard to tell which massage school will give you the best training for your money.

If you are considering going to massage school be sure you read the section on becoming a massage therapist to see if that is what you really want to do.

Your search for a massage school should include finding a school that teaches clinical (medical) massage as well as spa massage and that equips you with more skills and knowledge to get better jobs.

In choosing a massage therapy school be sure to ask these questions:

  • How much is massage school?
  • What licensing is required where you live?
  • How many teachers at your school have or have had a full time massage practice?
  • Are the teachers certified massage teachers? (The Massage and Bodywork Educator Certification program through the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education is fairly new so many are not yet certified.)
  • How many of your graduates have found jobs or started their own business?
  • How many of your graduates are still working after one year?  after 2 years?  after 5 years?
  • How much can I make as a massage therapist in an entry level job?
  • How much can I make as a massage therapist in after a few years of working in an entry level job?
  • How much can I make if I open my massage business right after massage school?
  • What does it take to open a massage business?
  • How many hours of training does your school have?
  • Does it include the minimum recommendation of 625 hours of training as outlined in the Entry Level Analysis Project?  Every school should be working to adapt the ELAP Blueprint as a foundation of their training.   It is not so much the number of hours of training but the quality of those hours!

To find a good massage school I recommend looking in your area and go visit all of the schools.  If you are planning on moving out of state or thinking about moving later, the requirements are different in each state so you will need to know what is required there.  (There is no such thing as National Certification and there is no portability between states for professional licensing.)  Most schools can provide you an adequate amount of information to start your business or find a job.  It is more about what you make of the school experience.  It is also good to go to a few massage therapist in your area and ask them where they got their training and ask if they would recommend that school.

The thing is that it can be a different way.  You can make a great living as a massage therapist and also be very happy doing so.  It can be a rewarding career in all ways when you learn what it is really about.  It is more about learning to take care of yourself – not others.

Different Types of Massage Schools

There are many different types of massage schools that you will need to know about in order to make a more informed decision about your career in massage.

Proprietary Massage Schools are schools that are usually owned by an individual who is often a massage therapist or a very interested party.  They are usually smaller in nature and cater to smaller class sizes and pay more attention to various learning styles.  They usually have a higher number of teachers to students ratio to give students more attention.

Career Training Institutes are schools that also offer other vocational training such as medical and dental assisting or other health care programs.   They are usually accredited by U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agencies, and are either privately held or publicly traded companies.  They usually have a higher number of students enrolled at any one time and offer lower tuition rates.

College Programs are usually at community colleges or technical colleges and may offer an associates degree in massage therapy.  They are regionally accredited programs.   These schools usually have the lowest rates, the lowest graduation rates and the lowest loan repayment rates according to Martha Menard in her study and article Choose Wisely: The quality of massage education in the US.

Corporate Massage schools are large corporate owned massage schools that are usually chains of massage schools.  Many of them purchased smaller proprietary massage schools in the late 1990’s – early 2000’s to build their network of schools.  They are usually accredited U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agencies.  They usually have a large number of students, have the highest cost, highest loan rates and lowest repayment rates according to Martha Menard in her study and article Choose Wisely: The quality of massage education in the US.

Comparing Massage Schools:  How to choose the best massage school for you.

It is nearly impossible to compare massage schools against each other because schools are all so different.  The cost of massage school may be one of the most appealing factors, but the cheapest massage schools are not always the best massage schools.   Massage school curriculum’s have not been standardized and currently massage education is in a big state of flux.   There are many schools that focus on the relaxation side of massage and many that focus on the massage as healthcare side.

Trying to compare and choose the best massage school will require that you really do your research on schools and work to figure out the best school for you that will help you be most successful in a career in massage therapy.

The Massage School Directory on www.massagechangeslives.com is a good resource to find and compare massage schools in your area.