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 Whatcom Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Renton Technical College, Bellingham Technical College, Clover Park Technical College, and Peninsula College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Clover Park Technical College, Peninsula College, Renton Technical College, and Bellingham Technical College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Ashmead College Of Massage Therapy • Vancouver, WA
Studying Massage Therapy (Professional Licensing Program) (completion in 2006)
• 12/11/2011
"I'm very satisfied with my schooling experience, because I know I did better there than I would at a community college. In fact, I have more confidence about pursuing my education further, because of the experience I had at Ashmead."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Now that it's Everest College, I'm sure it's not much different, with the same people and belief system still there. If I could do it all over again based on today's prices, I wouldn't change my decision! |
| Program Reputation | They were bought out by Everest College around 2009. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school provided a lot of support in all forms, which encouraged students like me to keep going, despite life's surprises. They catered to the average working adult's schedule, and everyone there did everything they could to help with EVERY student's success. |
| Instruction | 10 | Even though it was a lot of information in 11 months, the teachers encouraged study groups and techniques, which encouraged the students to take advantage of the help available. The curriculum offered was a lot more than I expected. For example, you're not going to get a 4-day crash course on taxes and running your business at a community college with a healthcare degree. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The workload was the most I'd seen in my life, and I was in accelerated classes in high school. It was possible to complete, but it was difficult to learn almost everything about the human body, massage, and running a business. My class started with 27 people, and only 11 graduated. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Like the commercials, I was shocked when we started massaging the first day. Most days, we started in the books, and then the last half was hands on. In the last two terms, we "worked" in the school clinic one day out of the week, with 2-3 clients per day. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | When I was there, online classes were not offered, but if they were, that would raise my rating. They offered morning, afternoon, and evening classes, and they were always willing to help with schedule changes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The instructors were always accessible, through phone, email, and in person, on campus. They were always encouraging study groups and tutoring. The library and media center were almost always open during business hours. The bookstore checked out massage tables and chairs for student use and even for graduates. |
| Social Life | 6 | We didn't have the average college experience at a trade school, like the parties, sports or organized social events. Our school spirit was really the only thing we had. A bunch of us got together and made everyone in the class feel like a family. So, socially, we made the best of it! |
| Placement Services | 8 | The information is there; you just have to act on it. I was a little surprised that they still remembered me when I came in for job placement help 3 years after graduation! Every time I was there, the jobs board was always full. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The school offers employment help and some continuing education classes; however, I think the challenge is just taking advantage of the services offered. I stayed in contact with a few people from my class, but I believe that's dependent on an individual's personality and initiative to stay in contact. |
Brian Utting School Of Massage • Seattle, WA
Studying State License Certification Program (completion in 1988)
• 1/1/2012
"I'm glad I was trained in the "golden age." Now, it's all corporate; different values, different standards. The director of my school had high admission standards. You didn't get in just because you could pay; they turned people away."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | The school no longer exists. | |
| Program Reputation | The school was bought out by a national chain (Cortiva). The school could not financially compete with the corporate entities or continue to afford what was required to administrate financial aid eligibility, etc. The director was also ready to retire. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school at which I received my foundation training was one of the best in the country. We also have a number of excellent local instructors who teach advanced continuing ed classes. |
| Instruction | 10 | The director of the school was remarkably skilled in curriculum development, as well as teacher training. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The curriculum involved more credit hours than the state required for licensure. The state licensing exam was more difficult than it is now, and the school taught beyond that. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The curriculum was taught in an "expanding" or "concentric circle" manner. You heard the same thing multiple times in different contexts and in different levels of complexity. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They had day and evening options. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We had all we needed to do well, including access to some great guest instructors. The classes were small enough that the instructors knew everyone, and you could get personal attention if you wanted. Graduate networking for continuing ed continues to be extremely good, because the founder is still active in the local massage community. |
| Placement Services | The field was in its infancy when I graduated. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I believe they improved on this incrementally over the years, after I graduated; they had some referrals, but the field was in its infancy back then. You were on your own, for the most part. |
Brian Utting School Of Massage • Seattle, WA
Studying State License Certification Program (completion in 1988)
• 1/1/2012
"I'm glad I was trained in the golden age of massage. Now it's all corporate; different values, different standards. The director of my school had high admission standards. You didn't get in just because you could pay. They turned people away."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | As I said before, the school no longer exists. |
| Program Reputation | The school was bought out by a national chain (Cortiva). The school could not financially compete with the corporate entities or continue to afford what was required to administrate financial aid eligibility, etc. The director was also ready to retire. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school at which I received my foundation training was one of the best in the country. We also have a number of excellent local instructors who teach advanced continuing education classes. |
| Instruction | 10 | The director of the school was remarkably skilled in curriculum development as well as teacher training. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The curriculum involved more credit hours than the state required for licensure, and the state licensing exam was more difficult than it is now, and the school taught beyond that. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The curriculum was taught in an "expanding" manner. You heard the same thing multiple times in different contexts and different levels of complexity. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They had day and evening options. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We had all we needed to do well, including access to some great "guest" instructors. |
| Social Life | 6 | The classes were small enough that the instructors knew everyone and you could get personal attention if you wanted. Graduate networking for continuing ed. continues to be extremely good, because the founder is still active in the local massage community |
| Placement Services | The field was in its infancy when I graduated. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I believe they improved on this incrementally over the years after I graduated; they had some referrals, but the field was in its infancy back then. You were on your own for the most part. |
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