Sarasota School of Massage Therapy

What Sarasota School of Massage Therapy does

Sarasota School of Massage Therapy (SSMT) is a privately held, for-profit vocational education institution founded in 1978 and operating from a single site at 5899 Whitfield Avenue, Suite 300, Sarasota, Florida. The school delivers a 750-hour, COE-accredited massage therapy certificate program offered in a 7.5-month day format or a 12-month evening format, with tuition and fees set at $16,075 and curriculum covering anatomy and physiology, neuromuscular therapy, Swedish massage, pathology, and 15+ specialty modalities (aromatherapy, sports massage, reiki, lymphatic drainage, hot stone therapy, craniosacral). Hands-on clinical competence is built through 200+ hours of supervised practice in the on-site student clinic, which also serves the general public as a low-cost massage outlet. SSMT prepares graduates for the MBLEx licensing exam and supports entry into private practice, day spas, chiropractic offices, sports-medicine settings, and franchise systems such as Massage Envy, Elements Massage, Massage Heights, and Hand & Stone.

The business is built on a tuition-led revenue model supplemented by federal Title IV aid (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, FSEOG, PLUS Loans) — 72% of full-time students receive Pell Grants, and 69% of the total student body received Pell, an SSMT scholarship, or both in award year July 2022-June 2023. Ancillary streams include continuing education for licensed massage therapists, an on-campus school store selling massage supplies, and a graduate-incubator clinic where new LMTs can launch private practices. The school holds COE accreditation (since 1982), is Florida-state licensed, and complies with FERPA and GLBA. Ownership is independent with no parent company, private equity, or venture capital involvement. Operations are supported by a five-person leadership team (Director, Director of Education, Assistant Director/Finance, Financial Aid Administrator, Admissions Guide) operating at a 1-10 employee headcount, and enrollment is direct-to-consumer via a sales-led admissions process with no third-party distribution.

Name

Sarasota School of Massage Therapy

Legal name

Sarasota School of Massage Therapy

Website

https://sarasotaschoolofmassagetherapy.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sarasota School of Massage Therapy is a privately held, COE-accredited vocational school in Sarasota, Florida, founded in 1978, delivering a 750-hour massage therapy certificate program (7.5-month day or 12-month evening) to career-changers, with 72% Pell Grant-dependent enrollment and 200+ hours of supervised clinical practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition charges. Total tuition and fees are $16,075 for the program. Students pay in two equal installments per payment period. Books cost approximately $400.
2. Federal Student Aid: Students can receive Pell Grants, Direct Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). The school code for FAFSA is 016937. 72% of students receive Pell Grants.
3. Continuing Education: The school offers continuing education courses for licensed massage therapists, providing additional revenue streams.
4. School Store/Massage Supplies: On-campus school store selling massage therapy supplies to students and the local community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sarasota School of Massage Therapy (SSMT) delivers a 750-hour COE-accredited massage therapy training program that prepares students for licensure as massage therapists. The program is offered in a 7.5-month day track or a 12-month evening track, combining classroom instruction in anatomy, physiology, and 15+ bodywork modalities with over 200 hours of supervised clinical practice. The school also offers continuing education courses for licensed massage therapists, an on-site student clinic, and MBLEx licensing exam preparation.

Product overview

Sarasota School of Massage Therapy (SSMT) offers a single unified educational product: a 750-hour COE-accredited massage therapy certification program that can be completed in 7.5 months (day program) or 12 months (evening program). The program is structured around core coursework in anatomy, physiology, and massage techniques, supplemented by specialty modality training in over 15 bodywork approaches. Students gain practical experience through supervised clinical hours at the school's student clinics, and graduates can continue at the SSMT Professional Massage Therapy Center to launch their private practices. The institution also provides MBLEx exam preparation, continuing education courses, and comprehensive financial aid services to support student enrollment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 750-Hour Massage Therapy Program A comprehensive 750-hour COE-accredited massage therapy program preparing students for licensure. Includes anatomy & physiology, neuromuscular therapy, Swedish massage, pathology, specialty modalities (aromatherapy, sports massage, reiki, lymphatic drainage, hot stone therapy), business & marketing training, Florida laws & ethics, and 200+ hours of supervised clinical practice.
• Student Clinics On-campus clinical experience where students practice massage therapy on classmates and members of the general public under supervision, providing real-world experience before graduation.
• Continuing Education Courses Professional development and continuing education courses for licensed massage therapists to maintain licensure and expand their skills in specialized modalities.
• MBLEx Licensing Exam Preparation Exam preparation services to help students pass the MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination), the standard licensing exam used by most states including Florida.
• Financial Aid Services Assistance with federal financial aid applications including Pell Grants, Direct Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, FSEOG, as well as SSMT's own need-based scholarships and flexible payment plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7-month program completion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)coreOthersStudent loans entered into agreements regarding Title IV federal student loans are submitted to NSLDS, accessible by authorized agencies, lenders, and institutions for tracking and compliance purposes.
• U.S. Department of EducationcoreOthersParticipates in federal student aid programs including Pell Grants, Direct Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and FSEOG. School code 016937. Administered through federal student aid systems.
• Massage Envy-SarasotaminorOthersMajor local employer actively recruiting SSMT graduates. Operates 3 locations in the Sarasota area with 120 LMTs employed.
• Elements MassageminorOthersNational massage franchise with local operations actively hiring SSMT graduates.
• Massage HeightsminorOthersFranchise brand with Sarasota location actively recruiting SSMT graduates.
• Hand & StoneminorOthersFranchise brand with Sarasota location where multiple SSMT graduates work as licensed massage therapists.
• Heritage Institute (Transfer Support)minorOthersExtended support to Heritage Institute students affected by school closure, inviting them to transfer and complete their massage therapy education at SSMT.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cortiva Institute: Multi-state vocational massage and holistic health school (formerly Florida College of Natural Health) offering similar 750–1000-hour COE-accredited massage therapy programs; among the most direct US comparables given overlapping curriculum, accreditation posture, and Florida footprint.
• National Holistic Institute (NHI): California-based chain of massage therapy schools operating COE-equivalent accredited programs with similar curriculum depth and clinic model; comparable in modality breadth and graduate-outcomes orientation.
• Mueller College of Holistic Studies: San Diego massage and holistic health school with comparable program length and clinical practice hours; similar small-campus, single-metro footprint with federally-aided student base.
• Atlanta School of Massage: Georgia-based vocational massage school with a similarly long operating history, CE offerings, and a comparable integrated-curriculum-plus-clinical-practice pedagogy.
• Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA): Arizona-based holistic health and massage school with comparable modality portfolio (including bodywork specialties like reiki and lymphatic drainage) and parallel continuing-education/program-extension strategy.
• Myotherapy College of Utah: Utah massage therapy school with a curriculum strongly weighted toward clinical/therapeutic bodywork, directly comparable to SSMT's neuromuscular and Swedish-massage emphasis.
• Healing Hands School of Holistic Health: California-based massage and holistic health school with similar modality breadth, clinic-based clinical training, and CE offerings — closely aligned business model to SSMT.
• Spa Tech Institute: Northeast US school with adjacent spa/wellness/massage programs, comparable vocational-trade accreditation posture and dual program + CE structure.
• Wellspring School of Allied Health: Midwestern massage therapy school with a similar compact campus model, supervised clinical practice model, and federally-aided student base.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Cliff College: Multi-state for-profit career college whose massage therapy programs overlap with SSMT's core offering, but the massage track sits within a broader portfolio of allied-health and trade programs — broader incumbent rather than direct specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sarasota School of Massage Therapy