Menu
There are four massage therapy schools in Houston, Texas. They include public and private institutions.
The educational programs, which typically take less than a year to complete, combine classroom lectures with lab work and real-world training. Graduates receive certificates that qualify them to apply for state licensure, which requires passing an exam.
Employment is booming for massage therapists. This is especially true in Houston and other Lone Star State cities, where government experts predict a fastest job-growth rate than the national average. Dozens of spas, clinics, and other facilities in Houston hire these practitioners.
You might also be interested in our list of massage therapy schools in Texas.
We selected the schools below based on the programs that they offer, accreditation, student population, graduation rate and reputation.
View our Ranking Methodology to learn more about how we rank schools.
75%
139
This school, with classrooms and labs in a building along the Katy Freeway, offers a range of allied health career programs. The massage therapy curriculum, which consists of 715 clock hours, is “based on Swedish massage theory and techniques.”
Students also learn trigger point, deep tissue, and hot stone massage; as well as Asian bodywork methods like Shiatsu, Ayurveda, and Thai. Other courses are Anatomy & Physiology, Health and Hygiene, Hydrotherapy Business Practice and Career Plan, Kinesiology, Pathology, Clinical and Energy Based Massage, and Professional Law & Ethics.
76%
199
A site just off the Northwest Freeway is home to one of Cortiva’s 29 campuses in five states. The Houston school was formerly known as the Texas Center for Massage Therapy.
The Professional Massage Therapy program involves 815.5 hours of instruction and training that students finish in as little as 7.5 months. Day and evening class schedules are available.
The curriculum features typical courses covering anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology, business skills, and laws and ethics. Students also take Introduction to Acupressure & Eastern Theories, Craniosacral Massage, Hydrotherapy & Spa Preparation, Reflexology, Russian Sports Massage, Shiatsu, and Trigger Point Therapy & Techniques.
63%
600
This school, a short distance from the Southwest Freeway, as a 680-hour massage therapy program that entails 30 weeks of day classes or 43 weeks of evening classes.
The curriculum features the following courses: Client Assessment, Massage Therapy Modalities and Techniques, Aromatherapy, Pregnancy Massage Technique, Swedish Deep Tissue Massage, Practices & Professional Ethics, Trigger Points Technique, Sports Massage Technique, Client Acquisition and Retention, Equipment Maintenance, and Navigating Legal and Ethical Issues.
The program’s final 80 clock hours involve an internship at the school’s onsite clinic, which serves community members.
20%
57200
This is a large public institution known for its low tuition rates and high percentage of international students. Health programs are based in the Texas Medical Center, a major hospital.
Massage therapy students take classes in Hydrotherapy, Health and Hygiene, Business Practices & Ethics, Anatomy and Physiology, Massage Therapy Fundamentals, Kinesiology, and Pathology. They perform internships to gain hands-on experience with real clients.
The college has an open admissions policy, but prefers massage program applicants who hold associate or higher degrees in “qualifying” fields. It accepts only those with some type of advanced degree, as well as three years’ work experience.
$17
$35,000
32%
The median pay for a Houston massage therapist is about $35,000 annually (or $17 hourly). That is less than the national average of almost $41,500 a year (or about $20 per hour).
Those with incomes in the highest 10 percent bring in around $57,900 (or nearly $28) in Houston, considerably less than the nationwide average of about $78,300 (or more than $37.60). The lowest 10 percent receive over $19,000 (or about $9.20) in Houston; and nearly $21,400 (or about $10.25) nationally.
In 2016, Texas had 11,360 massage therapists. The BLS anticipates that the total will increase to 14,950 by 2026–a 32 percent improvement, better than the expected nationwide growth rate of 26 percent.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CareerOneStop
LIMITED TIME DEAL