Somatic Bodywork at Centura College-Newport News

Centura College-Newport News's Somatic Bodywork certificate produces troubling outcomes, with graduates earning just $14,301 one year after completion—barely above poverty wages. That's $8,000 below the Virginia median for this field and ranks in the bottom 10% statewide. Students at peer Virginia schools like ECPI University or Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage earn nearly double, suggesting this program either attracts a different student population or provides inadequate training for well-paying positions.

The debt load of $8,021 might seem manageable in absolute terms, but it's actually concerning relative to these poverty-level earnings. With a debt-to-income ratio of 0.56, graduates would need to dedicate more than half their annual income to debt repayment—an untenable situation that often leads to default or forbearance. Given that 80% of students receive Pell grants, most come from low-income backgrounds and can't afford to subsidize their training indefinitely.

For parents considering this program, the math doesn't work. Even successful bodywork programs produce modest earnings, but this one underperforms badly within its own category. Unless your student has a clear path to a specific job opportunity through this program, they'd be better served by one of the higher-performing bodywork schools in Virginia—or by entering the field through apprenticeship models that don't require taking on debt for below-minimum-wage outcomes.