Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation

What Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation does

The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) is a private nonprofit specialized accrediting agency founded in 2002 and headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is the only U.S. Department of Education–recognized accreditor for massage therapy, bodywork, and esthetics education, providing institutional accreditation (for entire schools), programmatic accreditation (for specific programs within already-accredited institutions), and a COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum designation for programs not yet ready for full accreditation. COMTA is governed by a volunteer Commission of 10–13 elected Commissioners and led by Executive Director Dawn Hogue, with a notably small operational staff including an Accreditation Services Coordinator (Beverley Giroud).

The organization's core technology is EDvera, an online accreditation management system used for application submission, self-study report management, and review workflow. COMTA also offers COMTA 101 ($275) and COMTA 102 ($175) online training courses, delivers national Curriculum Competencies for both massage therapy and esthetics, and provides a Member Directory for prospective students. The technology stack is thin and process-oriented rather than product-differentiated.

COMTA's revenue model is fee-based and recurring: initial accreditation fees of $7,500 per program or $9,000 per institution, plus annual sustaining fees, application fees, training course fees, and endorsed curriculum fees ($1,500 application plus $450/year). The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) currently underwrites 50% of initial accreditation costs, functioning as a de facto subsidy. Schools access services through a 1–2 year process involving online training, application, self-study, and on-site peer review, conducted by volunteer peer professionals from the field.

Name

Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation

Legal name

Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation

Website

https://comta.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

COMTA is the only U.S. Department of Education–recognized specialized accrediting agency for massage therapy, bodywork, and esthetics education, providing institutional and programmatic accreditation to U.S. schools through a fee-based, peer-reviewed process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Accreditation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career & Technical Education (CTE) Standards Authorities (EDADAEAE), Career & Technical Education (CTE) & Trade Skills Media (EDAGALAG)

Keywords

• Specialized accreditation services
• Massage therapy education
• Esthetics program accreditation
• Curriculum competency standards
• Title IV financial aid eligibility

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Fees: Schools pay accreditation fees for institutional accreditation ($9,000) or programmatic accreditation ($7,500), plus application fees and annual sustaining fees
2. Online Training Courses: COMTA 101 ($275, approximately 8 hours) and COMTA 102 ($175, approximately 4 hours) training courses for accreditation applicants
3. Endorsed Curriculum Fees: $1,500 application fee and $450 annual sustaining fee for COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum designation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

COMTA is the U.S. Department of Education-recognized specialized accrediting agency for massage therapy, bodywork, and esthetics education. It accredits schools and programs (institutional and programmatic accreditation), offers a COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum recognition pathway, defines national curriculum competencies, and delivers required online training courses (COMTA 101/102) and MaxKnowledge professional development to support applicants and member institutions through the accreditation process.

Product overview

COMTA (Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation) operates as a specialized accreditation body for massage therapy, bodywork, and esthetics education. The organization offers two primary accreditation pathways—Institutional Accreditation for entire schools and Programmatic Accreditation for specific programs—along with the COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum as an alternative recognition status. Core curriculum competency frameworks define national standards for massage therapy and esthetics training. Supporting services include COMTA 101/102 online training courses, MaxKnowledge professional development for faculty, downloadable standards documents and forms, and a member directory for prospective students. Since 2002, COMTA has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the only specialized accreditor dedicated to massage/bodywork and esthetics professions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Institutional Accreditation Comprehensive accreditation for entire schools and institutions offering massage therapy and esthetics training programs, evaluating facilities, faculty qualifications, admissions practices, financial stability, and management. Valid for 7 years at $9,000 initial fee (Initial Application $3,000 + Self-Study/On-Site Visit $6,000).
• Programmatic Accreditation Accreditation for specific massage therapy or esthetics programs within an institution already holding institutional accreditation from a USDE-recognized agency. Valid for 7 years at $7,500 initial fee (Initial Application $3,000 + Self-Study/On-Site Visit $4,500).
• COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum Recognition status for massage/bodywork or esthetics programs meeting COMTA's curriculum and instruction standards without requiring full institutional accreditation. $1,500 application fee plus $450 annual sustaining fee; valid for 4 years.
• COMTA 101 and COMTA 102 Online Training Courses Required online accreditation training courses: COMTA 101 (~8 hours, $275) for all applicants covering standards and self-study report process; COMTA 102 (~4 hours, $175) for institutional accreditation applicants covering additional requirements.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS)minorOthersCollaborative partner organization sharing commitment to upholding standards in massage therapy, bodywork, and esthetics education and professional practice.
• Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerABMP provides free in-person workshops for Instructors on the Front Lines (IFL) and offers student discounts including scholarship sweepstakes.
• Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMTA members can access professional development courses through AFMTE membership; collaborative partner in elevating industry education standards.
• Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM)minorOthersCOMTA is a member of ACIH Council; collaborative partner in integrative health education.
• American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAMTA provides financial support covering 50% of COMTA initial accreditation costs; offers scholarships for massage therapy students; supports schools during NCBTMB transition.
• Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerASCP provides student discounts for esthetics programs and offers scholarships for students in esthetics programs.
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)minorOthersCollaborative partner organization in higher education accreditation.
• Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMTA aligns curriculum with FSMTB Entry-Level Analysis Project (ELAP) requirements; serves on Human Trafficking Task Force.
• Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMTF provides research grants and case report contests for massage therapy students and practitioners.
• National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established for schools transitioning from NCBTMB Assigned School Program to COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum; waived fees offered for transition.
• U.S. Department of EducationcoreOthersCOMTA has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education since 2002 as a specialized accrediting agency, enabling Title IV federal financial aid for accredited schools.
• Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMTA-ACCSC Dual Accreditation Pathways for institutions already accredited by ACCSC seeking COMTA accreditation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP): Specialized accreditor for allied health education programs, including some complementary health disciplines. Operates with similar programmatic review structure to COMTA.
• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET): National accreditor focused on continuing education and vocational training institutions. Targets an overlapping population of post-secondary vocational schools.
• Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC): National accreditor of trade and career schools, including massage therapy programs. COMTA partners with ACCSC on dual-accreditation pathways, making it both a peer and a distribution channel.
• Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES): USDE-recognized specialized accreditor for health education institutions, including many massage therapy and allied health programs. Directly competes with COMTA for programmatic accreditation of the same school types.
• Council on Occupational Education (COE): National accrediting body for occupational education institutions. Covers similar vocational and trade-school categories that overlap with COMTA's massage/esthetics programs.

Others

• American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA): Largest professional association for massage therapists and the dominant funder of COMTA subsidies (50% of accreditation costs). Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP): Major professional membership organization for massage therapists offering CE, insurance, and scholarships. Strategic GTM partner to COMTA via Instructor on the Front Lines workshops.
• Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB): Federation of state licensing boards for massage therapy. COMTA aligns its curriculum competencies with FSMTB's ELAP, making it a regulatory alignment partner rather than a competitor.

Emerging players

• National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB): Certification body for massage therapists that previously ran its own Assigned School Program. Schools are now transitioning from NCBTMB to COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum, making NCBTMB a partial competitor in transition.

Broad incumbents

• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): National meta-accreditation body that recognizes accreditors like COMTA. Not a direct competitor but the umbrella organization governing COMTA's standing in the accreditation ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/The-Commission-on-Massage-Therapy-Accreditation-158440764234117
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commission-on-massage-therapy-accreditation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation