Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Massage Therapists
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at National University of Health Sciences, Moraine Valley Community College, College of DuPage, and Joliet Junior College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Rasmusssen.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Morton College, South Suburban College, and Waubonsee Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider John A Logan College, Rend Lake College, Shawnee Community College, and South Suburban College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Black Hawk, Lewis and Clark Community College, Shawnee Community College, and Southeastern Illinois College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of National University of Health Sciences.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at National University of Health Sciences.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight Illinois Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: Bridgeview, Chicago, Naperville
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Certificate
- Locations: Collinsville
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Certificate, Diploma
- Locations: Quincy
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Diploma
- Locations: Chicago, Crystal Lake, Woodridge
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Certificate
- Locations: Crystal Lake
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Certificate
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Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Rockord Career College • Rockford, IL
Studying Massage Therapy (completion in 2009)
• 5/2/2011
"The program is career limiting. It is also relatively expensive. I found alternatives that would have been less expensive and better career wise."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would not recommend this field. Instead, I would advise one to consider chiropractic. Programs a bit longer, but the field is easier to find work in. I also think there is too much misperception of what a massage therapist does. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | It is not well known. My credits won't transfer to a traditional school. |
| Program Quality | 2 | The school I attended was expensive and left me in debt. The program is not well respected so I am having difficulty finding work as a massage therapist. |
| Instruction | 2 | The program was very disorganized and expensive. I could have saved money by going to a traditional community college. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was a tough program academically. But the teachers were flexible with deadlines. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was mostly book work. But we did get good clinical exposure with the required rotations. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The school was very flexible with exam schedules. If we weren't ready, we could ask for extensions that were never denied. The school caters to working adults. I'll give it that. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | The school does not have extensive resources. The resources it does have are adequate. I found myself having to use the resources of the local community college. |
| Social Life | 2 | There were really no social events. Being one of the few males there, however, I got a lot of attention. I'll leave it at that! |
| Placement Services | 1 | It's been two years and I cannot find work in this area as a massage therapist. The others in my class are in the same boat. I feel like the school misinformed us. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There were only three of us in my class. I do not know anyone else who went through the program. |
Olympia College • Burr Ridge, IL
Studying Massage Therapy (completion in 2006)
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Although I don't do it full time I love doing it and would recommend someone that has a interest in massage to go for it. It was a great school and the program didn't take years to complete. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | A lot of people I know have attended there and I haven't heard any complaints. |
| Program Quality | 9 | It was an awesome school. I would tell anyone to attend there. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 3 | The technique was easy for me because I was always good at it. Its come naturally to me. The technical aspects, however, were pretty challenging. It took a lot of studying. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The class was split into two parts. First we learned with books in the classroom and then we learned hands on techniques in the lab. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They have morning and night classes. I was able to work and attend school. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had all kinds of learning tools. We had classrooms, a laboratory, and a resource center. |
| Social Life | 10 | We had a class of about 25. It was strictly a learning environment made up of people that all had the same interests. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They have all types of job resources. They also have staff on hand just for job placement help. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They assist with job placement. |
College Of DuPage In Association With Wellness And Massage Training Institute • Woodridge, IL
Studying Massage Therapy (completion in 2002)
• 7/14/2011
"I love massage. I love what I do. And I enjoyed my experience at WMTI."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | There are so many new programs around. I would recommend doing a lot of research to find a school that is right for them. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I used to hear that this therapist or that therapist had trained there, but not as much anymore. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I felt the school that I attended offered what we referred to as 'a wide variety to have in your bag.” I attended the Swedish program but had many opportunities to learn a little from all different modalities. |
| Instruction | 10 | All of our instructors were great. They were hands on and very open to explaining any questions that came up. |
| How Difficult | 5 | This was the first time I felt adequate in learning. I discovered what a hands on learner I was and this help immensely in my book work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Again, very hands on. This made the book work so much easier. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I worked a full time job and received my associate's at night. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Again, at the time I went this school was in association with the community college. On site the rooms and facilities were what we needed. There were no computers. Study groups were always easy to assemble. |
| Social Life | 3 | There was none of that. |
| Placement Services | 7 | When I attended there was a job book that had possible job opportunities in it. It was never really up to date. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | Unfortunately, I used to take classes to maintain CEUs. I had a refund problem with one of those classes and never heard from them again. |
Cortive Institute - Chicago • Chicago, IL
Studying Massage Therapy (completion in 2009)
• 11/15/2011
"I was very satisfied. I felt that I got a well rounded education for my money. If I could got back and do it all over again I wouldn't hesitate!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have already recommended my school to other people. Every time I talk about my school and all of the amazing experiences that I had there I have no choice but to recommend my school to others. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | A lot of job postings I have seen say that they prefer Cortiva grads. Once I mention the name of my school people take notice and realize that I went to a good school that has a good background. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I loved my teachers! Every one of them provided something to the education process that I will always remember. |
| Instruction | 10 | When I began to enroll in the program, I was informed of the commitment that would be required of me. I learned a great deal and I use everything I learned everyday. |
| How Difficult | 10 | I was enrolled in the 12 month program which some considered fast-paced. I felt that the work was challenging, but there was always a teacher or a study group there to help you with whatever you needed. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There is a mixture of classes, although some of the book classes became hands on classes to help us understand better (i.e. anatomy and ethics). | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I was enrolled in school 3 days a week, Monday - Wednesday. This left my weekends open to still have a part-time job. I know there were also weekend and evening classes. For those that needed more time to complete classes, Cortiva also has an 18 moth program. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | My school was very small, so some resources we didn't have. There was a computer room with five computers and a printer which for the most part was fine. In the computer room there were books that we could use. Even though we didn't have a library we are right down the street from a public library that we frequented. |
| Social Life | 10 | Our school is very social and involved in the community. We volunteered sports massage to the runners of the Chicago Marathon every year. There are volunteer opportunities set up across the city every year to help with homework assignments. Our school does not have athletic teams but we always showed school spirit. |
| Placement Services | 10 | My school sends out job postings daily to current students and alumni. Job fairs are hosted twice a year to help alumni find jobs. 30, 60, and 90 days after graduation, an email is sent out to you to see how you are fairing as far as jobs and licensing goes. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | With the help of facebook, I am able to keep in touch with all my classmates and students from other classes. My school also has a facebook page where past and present students can have discussions and see events coming up. |
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