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What are your thoughts on ABMP's survey showing falling enrollment at massage schools and many small schools closing?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Donna Whitton on
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I know of one great school that closed just last year and rumor (I didn't verify) that a local school did not have enough students to run the massage program last year.
The news does not scare me; for a couple years now MT's have been remarking on how the industry is becoming oversaturated and, unfortunately, often with MTs that just aren't as good or as passionate as we would like to see in the field, this might change that.
As for the industry, I haven't been sorely effected by the economy and look forward to continued growth.
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Permalink Reply by Karen M. Hobson, LMT, CMT, NCTM on
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We (Virginia College) just opened a new TM program in Richmond VA. The Centura school less than a mile up the street closed theirs, but although our enrollments haven't been as high as I'd like they're adequate.
On the other side of town a private four-year college (U of Richmond) is opening a clock-hour program through their continuing education center in the fall. I am very curious to see how this particular configuration of massage education is going to work and how it will compete against schools with credit-hour programs that qualify for Title IV funding.
I agree with the person who said it's an adjustment--the sky is not falling, not yet at least!
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Permalink Reply by Emmanuel Bistas on
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The report definitely reflects what I have seen in the past ten years. Overall enrollment has indeed shrunk and there are more schools around and it is now an adjustment period.
The slowdown seems to affect massage education, not demand for massage therapy. Demand for good massage therapists is still there and seems to be growing.
The sharp increase in enrollments that we witnessed in early 2000s up to 2005 was fueled partly by increased demand for massage therapists, and partly by other factors: a)in late 2001 we had the collapse of some segments of the economy especially technology and hospitality, that led many to massage therapy that promised to be a quick career change, b) many more states started regulating massage therapy during that time and that increased the legitimacy of massage therapy and sent a lot of people to school. c) Psychologically, September 11 caused many people to look deep inside, and to seek wholeness and fulfillment in their lives; many found that massage therapy was the perfect vehicle for healing a wounded world. d) The US. Dept of Labor released statistics that showed a 20% increase in demand for massage therapists. e) massage schools started participating in financial aid and loans, including private loans through Sallie Mae. f) finally, several new massage therapy books became available, which made creating a curriculum easy compared to the decade before.
All of these factors fueled demand for massage education and created a window of opportunity for schools. Not only for small schools, but also for larger companies such as Cortiva and Steiner who figured that financial aid will give them a good return on investment. Large career school chains such as Corinthian started offering massages therapy programs. At the same time, community colleges started offering massage therapy programs, usually at a lower cost than private schools since community colleges are subsidized by tax payers. Lots of buzz, lots of advertising, lots of activity. Students flocked to schools.
Then the pendulum swung a bit too much to the other side. Increased demand and availability of financial aid caused schools to increase tuition (if they could sell the program for $5K more, and the student didn't have to part with that money because it came from the government, why not, right?). Book prices went through the roof. At the same time, the reality of how much work it is to be massage therapist was becoming known, and licensing exam pass rates started showing that some schools were doing a poor job training students. By 2006 the housing sector was buzzing, the stock market was becoming inflated and creating profits. Prospects started looking for opportunities elsewhere. Those who loved massage still pursued it though. Healthy adjustment. I don't think we have seen the end of it.
Many small schools have gotten out because the owners figured they could make as much by doing massages and teaching CEUs or doing something else. Some larger training schools such as Everest have started dropping massage therapy from their campuses. The corporate schools are also feeling the pinch because although they still have good enrollment numbers there is increased and expensive regulation from the government. Community colleges that offer massage as healthcare program do not seem to be as affected.
I think the adjustment will continue for a couple more years. If the economy continues to recover there will be many more opportunities for employment in other fields and people may seek training in other disciplines. Larger schools will try keep their classrooms full by advocating increased number of hours (we have seen that already). Smaller schools, depending on the location and local demand may continue to do okay but will find it harder to attract students without financial aid; some may close or start offering other courses/products in addition to massage therapy.
Then, I think we are up for another adjustment, and that will be in the massage labor market. Will someone who went to school for 750 or 900 hours want to do physical labor for $17 or $19/hr? Will employers be able to find good and inexpensive employees as in the past? That will be interesting to see.
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Permalink Reply by Alexei Levine on
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I don't know if anyone out there will notice this posting, but I was wondering, now that a year has passed, what's going on in your neck of the woods? Have more programs contracted or closed? Are new ones opening up?
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Cohen on
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More Teachers are traveling offering CE classes. States are making CE requirements while few are available locally. I think there will be more changes coming.
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Permalink Reply by Robin Byler Thomas on
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We've had some shuffling around of schools in Tucson. One private school closed a couple years ago (Providence Institute), a tech school is phasing out their MT program (Carrington College), Cortiva was bought out by Steiner, and a new school is slated to open this fall (ASIS). The local community college (PCC) also has a program and they are still in operation. A quick online search reveals Brookline College has a MT program too (this is news to me). So, in our shuffle we still ended up with four schools.
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Thanks for your input, sounds like the landscape of massage education continues to shift. It'll be interesting to see next years survey from ABMP to find out if the numbers of schools, programs and students continues to decline overall.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
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Yea a bubble...Everyone wants to be a massage therapist because they think they can make $50 to $100 an hour after only a few months of training...But its not that easy... Most people that get massage regularly already have a therapist.. A lot of people only get massages when on vacation.. And lots or people run to the Chiropractor or MD. if they are hurting.. Even though soft tissue work is the modality of choice for advanced PTs , Chiropractors, and Osteopaths, massage therapists are taught that massage work is inferior to other forms of therapy... And are often treated like that by other health care providers they can work with.. They end up not making enough money or find it mentally and physically not worth it.. Its a very short career span..Only six years.. Word is out.. enrollment is declining... Some of these schools cost a lot.. Like $30,000.00 . Word is out, its not easy having a long term career as a massage therapist.
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Just as a side note schools need to change the mindset of massage therapists..I know that Im as capable as any Chiropractor, Physical therapist or Osteopath once any underlying pathology is ruled out. Many times I have helped people out of pain in one or two sessions when the client has been seeing other health care providers for weeks, months and years with no relief.. Yet the money I make is only a fraction of what those other professions can make...I just recently cured a young man of debilitating back pain in one 25 minute session.. He had been seeing a Chiropractor for that problem for over a month twice a week with no relief... I made $20 for curing that young man.. The Chiropractor made way way way way more for not helping him...They are teaching us wrong... Soft tissue work is the highest level work when it comes to manual medicine... We should be taught that, and trained accordingly .. We arnt. Not even close.
Gordon J. Wallis said:Yea a bubble...Everyone wants to be a massage therapist because they think they can make $50 to $100 an hour after only a few months of training...But its not that easy... Most people that get massage regularly already have a therapist.. A lot of people only get massages when on vacation.. And lots or people run to the Chiropractor or MD. if they are hurting.. Even though soft tissue work is the modality of choice for advanced PTs , Chiropractors, and Osteopaths, massage therapists are taught that massage work is inferior to other forms of therapy... And are often treated like that by other health care providers they can work with.. They end up not making enough money or find it mentally and physically not worth it.. Its a very short career span..Only six years.. Word is out.. enrollment is declining... Some of these schools cost a lot.. Like $30,000.00 . Word is out, its not easy having a long term career as a massage therapist.
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Permalink Reply by Kathy Mackay on
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If this is true and enrollment is declining I wonder if things will come full circle to where private schools will once again be the main source for learning how to be a massage therapist?
I agree, the word is out, this career isn't for the faint of heart nor is it for those looking to get rich quick. Six years? I had heard it was more like three years because so many have been caught in the sweatshop franchise/spa trap and end up injuring themselves.
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Alexei, I just this saw your question. My own experience is that enrollment numbers have stabilized, but the school market is continuing to shift - not due to declining enrollment, but due to the new regulations (clock-to-credit-hour conversion and gainful employment rules).
With the government being broke and outstanding student loan debt at an all-time high, there is some room for small, competitively priced, proprietary schools and owner-financed plans where students pay out of pocket but I don't think we will go full-circle to such schools being the main source of therapists.
It is good to see along with school market adjustments there is a leveling off of textbook costs, and a lot of students opting for used or rented books.
I envision the next market adjustment to be in the labor market.
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The increasing amount of self promotion to other therapists for webcasts and traveling CEs should say a lot about current massage education. Massage Education has become an industry unto itself. It may also indicate that as curriculum become longer and fewer advanced classes are offered as Community Colleges and trade schools take over, courses are designed to satisfy regulatory requirements rather than what professionals want for self growth.
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