Massage Therapy Schools

Choosing a right massage school for yourself is the first important step in your success.

There are many options for a massage therapist once you complete your massage therapy training. Two types of disciplines that will help you determine which massage styles you should focus on are therapeutic massage or relaxation massage. Once you decide on either of those styles you can concentrate on specific massage techniques like acupressure or Reiki, just to name a few. You can learn more about different massage styles in our Massage Therapy Types page. Other options as certified massage therapist are working with with athletes or medical patients. You'll also have the option to work alone or with a team of other professional massage therapists.

Researching Schools in Your Area

When you've decided on which massage discipline you would like to focus on, you should start researching different massage schools in your current area or the area that you would like to eventually work in. We've done a lot of the research for you and we've categorized each school by state so most, if not all the major massage schools can be found on our site. Once you've found a school in the state that you are wanting to work in, it's important that you request a catalogue and any other literature that identifies details, costs and requirements for the programs offered by the school.

Each school and each state have different requirements, here are few things to take note of:

• Identify the licensing requirements for the state in which you intend to practice
• Review the number of education hours and the exam requirements
• Assure that you will be able to meet all licensing requirements by matching them up with the programs offered by each massage school.

Cost

Just like in any other traditional college or university the cost to attend a massage school varies depending on your personal goals, state requirments, and the type of institution. In some states you can become a certified massage therapist for approximately $1000 because that specific state does not require you to be a licensed massage therapist. If you intende to become a licensed professional massage therapist and would like to fulfill all licensing requirements, there are some programs that require 500-900 hours of training, which could cost between $6,000 to $9,000.

There are a variety of ways to help you pay for your massage therapy education. Here are a few:

• Student Financial Assistance is available
• Federal loans and grants are available for federally accredited schools
• Low interest education loans are also available