The following are criteria we did NOT use to identify the top massage therapy schools. Some are certainly better metrics to use, however it is much more difficult and in some cases impossible to get a full and clear picture using these criteria. In an unregulated market, we can count the number of “votes” for a school based on the number of associations that list it among their recognized schools. This provides a reliable and objective measurement, and that is the metric we used.

• Measuring the ones with the most teachers.
• The most credible and experienced teachers.
• Programs with the most hours.
• Schools with the most diverse array of techniques.
• Schools with the optimum value of price vs hours.
• Schools with the most years in operation.
• Schools with the most active community presence.
• Schools with the biggest output per year.

All of these are good indicators, but the one we chose is industry recognition.

As noted, while far from ideal, this gives us a clear picture of the top schools as determined by the free market. We retained all associations with a list of schools derived from Blue Cross Médavie’s list of associations as of February 2018.

Contrary to our market study of schools in 2014, which had two schools in the top position, this time there is only one:

• Guijek

Six schools rank in second position, including :

• Académie de massage scientifique
• Institut Kiné-Concept
• À fleur de peau
• Centre Orchidée
• École de massothérapie Massotech
• L’Attitude

Six schools rank in third position, including :

• Académie de massage et d’Orthothérapie
• Académie EDITH SEREI
• Accès Trager
• Centre de formation en Médecines Alternatives de Grandby
• Dragon & Pheonix, operating as Tao Shiatsu Montreal
• IKRA, École de massothérapie

Nine (8) schools are tied in third place.
The remaining schools (70+) make up the lower echelons of recognition.

Some good advice for anyone interesting in learning massage therapy is to go to an open-house offered by the school. You can find the schools in your area using our map. Speak with the teachers directly if possible, if you can, go get a massage from graduates of the school at the school and ask about their experience.