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 Northwestern Health Sciences University.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Globe University.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Duluth Business University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Saint Paul College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Duluth Business University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Northland Community and Technical College, Minnesota State, Northwestern Health Sciences University, and Southeast Technical.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Northwest Technical College, Minnesota State, and Minnesota West.
Excellence
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Northwestern Health Sciences University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Duluth Business University, Minnesota State, Northland Community and Technical College, and Minnesota West.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Globe College • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Bachelor's In Massage Therapy (completion in 2000)
• 5/1/2011
"They trained me well. I really enjoyed my instructors and we had fun."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My experience great. I loved every minute of it and I'd definitely recommend it. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I know they're well respected. I know name recognition helped me get my job. |
| Program Quality | 8 | They taught me everything I do on the job now. They really prepared me well. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 8 | It wasn't difficult. I had to stay very focused, though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was very hands-on, which is good because we received real world experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They tried to make things work for us because they knew many of us had full-time jobs. They could fit us for meetings with little to no notice at times. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The building was old. Saying this, they did well with the surroundings they had. |
| Social Life | 4 | I didn't make a lot of friends. Then again, everyone was focused on getting their degrees. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They helped me get my job. My boss was impressed with my degree. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Nobody has really reached out to me. I don't mind, though, as I'm doing well without help. |
Minnesota School Of Business • Brooklyn Center, MN
Studying Massage Therapy (completion in 2009)
• 1/22/2012
"The academics, books, facilities and instructors were all pretty good. We would have benefited from more hours in the massage clinics. The placement department did little to help."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | One needs to have a clear idea of where one wants to work and in what kind of specific setting before even starting the program in order to get the most of out it. |
| Program Reputation | I do not know what the school's reputation is nationally or statewide. I do know that a couple people in the field preferred another local massage school. | |
| Program Quality | 7 | The courses, instructors, and facilities were good. I felt we could have benefited from more hours in student massage clinics. I felt the Placement Department was not energetic. |
| Instruction | 7 | Instructors varied a lot. We started with two at the branch I attended, but one left part way through due to health problems. He was not replaced. I had to go to another branch location to get all the courses I needed. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Some courses and instructors were very demanding, such as the instructor for the Anatomy/Physiology/Kinesiology courses. Others would give a written test and a practical exam, but the course was rather easy to pass. Students had to be motivated to learn as much as possible to be prepared for their employment goal. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The harder courses were all book-learning. Some of the massage courses were not good at filling slots in the clinics, but that depended on the instructor. There was a good mix overall. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | A couple classes were available online, and you had only to visit and post within the weekly deadlines. A few courses had two or three class schedules (ex. one days and one evenings), but most had only one schedule and it was take it or leave it. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I thought the facilities were pretty modern and clean. The school replaced carpet and did other minor renovations while I was there. We had adequate supplies and clean sheets, hot stones and mattresses. |
| Social Life | 4 | There were no sports teams that I know of. I recall only one party during my terms there, with pizza and soda provided. There were a couple of fundraisers, and at least one student appreciation day per term. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I graduated at the deepest part of the recession, and the placement department did little more than pass along job postings from craigslist. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I never met with or emailed other grads after graduation. The school email system was not available to us after graduation, which made staying in touch harder. There was no alumni newsletter by mail or email. I did chat with an instructor after graduation a few times. |
Sister Rosalind's School Of Massage & Bodywork • Saint Paul, MN
Studying Massage Therapy (completion in 2002)
• 3/22/2012
"I feel I received a very good base education for the time and money I put into the program. I have been able to utilize all of my training to it's fullest potential. The only hesitation I have on the program were some overly christian vs. spiritual views at times."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If the person I was talking to did not have any issues around a slight focus on Christianity vs. spirituality, then I would recommend the school. The flexibility, cost, and overall level of education provide an excellent base to start a career in massage therapy. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Sister Rosalind's has a fairly decent reputation. They are accredited, reliable, consistent, and an organization that can be trusted. They also benefited from going out into the community and offering chair massage as a practicum which spread the word about the school. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Sister Rosalind's provided a very good base of education, including anatomy, medical terminology, business, and several courses on massage therapy techniques, e.g. swedish, sports, and muscular therapy. I would have rated it higher except sometimes there was too much emphasis on christianity versus spirituality in massage. |
| Instruction | 7 | There were a variety of instructors from a variety of backgrounds that taught the classes. We had a nurse, a chiropractor, a professor, and many skilled therapists with years of experience in the field. |
| How Difficult | 5 | While the anatomy classes were a bit more challenging, the majority of the classes focused on practical work, e.g. performing the massage. Because I feel I had a natural talent for touch, the practical part came quite easy. I'm also a fairly good student so I was able to memorize and apply the concepts learned. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The 650 hour program at Sister Rosalind's provided a very appropriate mix of hands-on and book oriented training. We spent a fair amount of time on theory and anatomy, but it was balanced very nicely with actual hands on work. The hands-on time was very important in developing good technique, getting feedback from others, and getting practice. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Sister Rosalind's offered many ways to complete the curriculum. There are night classes, day classes, and weekend classes. There were also opportunities to take a condensed class where you went full time for two weeks, or one could take class one night a week. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The two locations that I attended school were only a bit above average. The buildings were either fairly old and had temperature or visual issues or were in a strip mall. The locations were easy to get to, however. There was always enough space for class as well as practical space. |
| Social Life | 6 | There were no school organized activities at Sister Rosalind's. However, the other students were all very easy to get to know and work with. We often spent extra time together before and after class as well as in study groups. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I remember some postings about job placement at the school, but do not recall there was a large effort to place graduates in a massage position. The types of work and opportunities were discussed in classes, but no specific counseling for specific jobs was offered. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I do not recall any offerings at the time I graduated for alumni. I have also not received any contact since my graduation from the school. |
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