By Gary Eaton, LMT

Deciding to become a massage therapist is a life changing decision. After weighing all the pros and cons of a career in massage and determining that massage therapy is the right decision, the next step is finding a massage school. But how do you choose? Which one is best?

Those aren’t always easy questions to answer, but there are ways to narrow it down and make an informed decision. But first, let’s try and understand the actual role of massage school.

Unlike some careers, where you go to school is less important then than other factors. I have never once been asked where I went to massage school by a client. That isn’t to say you won’t get a better education from School A then School B, but in the end it isn’t the most important factor.

When I decided to become a massage therapist I had four schools to choose from in my area. So I started by finding a few licensed massage therapists from each school who graduated in the last couple of years and asked their opinion. Not surprisingly, all of the therapists I talked with recommended their school over the others. That didn’t help much.

Next, I visited each school, met with admissions counselors, checked out their facilities and studied their programs. There were advantages to each, depending on where your interests were. So how did I choose? How can you choose?

There are several things you need to consider that will help you decide on a school. The first is cost. Although all four schools were close in costs, a couple of them offered better financing options. Most massage schools are expensive (but worth the investment in my opinion), so finding the best value is important. So the first question is can you financially afford the school?

The second thing on the list for me was schedule. I was working full-time, so I needed classes to be available in the evenings. I also didn’t want to go for two or three years. I was committed to working full-time and going to school full-time for a year. That eliminated two schools for me, as their programs took longer to complete even though actual class hours were about the same.

Another factor I considered was the success rate of graduates in passing the state board exams. I live, and massage school, in Oregon, which has some of highest requirements to become a therapist. Not only do you have to complete a certain number of class hours (these vary by state) but you also have to pass the national exam and a hands-on state board exam. These requirements are topped by just a couple of states, so I wanted to know how well graduates of the two schools did when it came to passing the state boards. The result? It wasn’t even close.

The school I chose had over 90% pass rate, compared to about 75% for the other school. That was what did it for me. You see, I believe I would be just as good of a massage therapist regardless of the school I went to. But in the end, the massage school’s job is to teach you the basics and prepare you to pass the national and state exams.

Learning to become the best massage therapist is great, but if the school doesn’t prepare you to pass the tests you might never become licensed and it will be a big waste of time and money.

Of course there were other factors involved in my decision process. I had a good feeling about the school I chose from the first moment I walked in the door. It was in a good location, the facility was clean and professional, and the people were friendly and helpful. But when it came down to decision time, for me, it was all about the knowledge. Did I feel confident that they were going to be able to help me do my best at getting licensed as well as being a knowledgeable, skilled massage therapist?

The truth is, you will learn more about being a massage therapist AFTER you graduate and become licensed. Those first few months working full-time will teach you much more then school. Massage school will give you the foundation necessary to build your career. But that career won’t get off the ground if they don’t prepare you for the licensing tests.

So when considering a school and all of the needs and requirements you have, don’t forget to check the success rate of their graduates. All things being equal, that becomes an important statistic.

If you are struggling with where to go to school or whether massage is right for you, drop me an email or comment on this or other posts. I am open to answering all of your questions, and I know you have many. So ask away!

Gary Eaton is a licensed massage therapist and writer living and working in Portland, Oregon. He manages a thriving therapeutic massage practice and is a featured writer for Massage Schools Guide.

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