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19 schools in Pennsylvania offer massage therapy-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 2 registered apprenticeship sponsors in Pennsylvania train massage therapy apprentices — see apprenticeships.
Pennsylvania requires a state license from the State Board of Massage Therapy under the Department of State. The path is 600 hours of in-class education at a board-approved school — externship hours don't count toward the minimum — plus the MBLEx and a 3-hour child abuse recognition course. Licenses renew every two years with 24 hours of continuing education.
Official source: Pennsylvania State Board of Massage Therapy (Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs) · Exam: MBLEx (NCETM/NCETMB accepted if taken before retirement) · Typical requirement: 600 hours of in-class instruction at a board-approved school (min. 175 hours anatomy/physiology/kinesiology/pathology, 250 hours massage theory and practice, 25 hours ethics/business/law); externship hours don't count; CPR and 3 hours of child-abuse-recognition training required
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County Community College | Butler | public | $6,233 | 30.2% | $38,891 |
| Montgomery County Community College | Blue Bell | public | $11,124 | 24.9% | $46,108 |
| Laurel Technical Institute | Uniontown | private for-profit | $7,825 | 76.2% | $30,819 |
| Northampton County Area Community College | Bethlehem | public | $12,119 | 29.8% | $41,566 |
| Community College of Allegheny County | Pittsburgh | public | $13,970 | 25.3% | $39,449 |
| Lancaster School of Cosmetology & Therapeutic Bodywork | Lancaster | private for-profit | $11,971 | 80.6% | $29,738 |
| Lackawanna College | Scranton | private nonprofit | $19,951 | 37.8% | $41,000 |
| Harcum College | Bryn Mawr | private nonprofit | $24,776 | 51.5% | $46,827 |
| Penn Commercial Business/Technical School | Washington | private for-profit | $18,350 | 52.7% | $31,736 |
| Great Lakes Institute of Technology | Erie | private for-profit | $17,540 | 69.7% | $28,704 |
| Metro Beauty Academy | Allentown | private for-profit | $20,756 | 90% | $33,859 |
| Fortis Institute-Scranton | Scranton | private for-profit | $20,186 | 56.3% | $30,224 |
| Lansdale School of Business | North Wales | private for-profit | $27,483 | 76.7% | $37,442 |
| Douglas Education Center | Monessen | private for-profit | $27,348 | 84.2% | $30,814 |
| Cortiva Institute | King of Prussia | private for-profit | $30,400 | 79.8% | $32,094 |
| Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center | Springville | public | $5,594 | 96.7% | not reported |
| Institute of Medical Careers | Pittsburgh | private for-profit | $21,392 | 69.5% | not reported |
| Fountain of Youth Academy of Cosmetology | Pittsburgh | private for-profit | $25,855 | 47.4% | not reported |
| European Medical School of Massage | Sinking Spring | private for-profit | $14,198 | 94.6% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
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