If you live in the Fraser Valley and want to become a registered massage therapist (RMT), Vancouver Career College (VACC) gives you two options: massage therapy school in Abbotsford, or a commute to its Burnaby campus near Metrotown. The diploma is the same at both. What changes is your week: time on Highway 1 or the bus, hours of child care and the community you get to know during clinic training.
This guide compares the two campuses using BC Transit schedules, Job Bank data and accreditation dates, so you can choose based on your real routine.
Is the RMT Program the Same at Both Campuses?
Yes. VACC offers the same RMT diploma program at both campuses: 2,751 hours over 88 weeks of full-time, in-person study, including 600 hours of clinic training. Admission steps are the same too, including the Introduction to Massage Workshop and an interview. Here's how the campuses differ.
| Feature | Abbotsford campus | Burnaby campus |
|---|---|---|
| Location | 2121 Clearbrook Road, near Highway 1 | 5021 Kingsway, near Metrotown and SkyTrain |
| CMTCA status | Fully accredited in March 2026; program launched in 2024 | Fully accredited; first accredited July 2018 |
| Programs on campus | Registered Massage Therapy only | RMT plus six others, including Acupuncture and Practical Nursing |
| Student clinics | RMT student clinic | RMT student clinic, plus an Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic in the same building |
| Start dates | Set by the campus, based on enrolment | Set by the campus, based on enrolment |
Accreditation matters because CCHPBC requires BC-educated applicants to graduate from a program accredited by CCHPBC or by the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (CMTCA).
Abbotsford's later date reflects how new the program is there. VACC launched RMT training at its Abbotsford campus in 2024, and the program received preliminary accreditation from CMTCA that September, the step before full accreditation. It moved to full accreditation in March 2026. Our guide explains what CMTCA accreditation means for students.
In practice, your campus choice doesn't change your route to a BC licence. It changes your daily logistics.
How Long Is the Commute From the Fraser Valley to Burnaby?
On transit, the bus leg alone is scheduled at 39 to 83 minutes on weekday trips from Burnaby to Abbotsford, depending on your stop and the time of day. BC Transit's 66 Fraser Valley Express runs between Lougheed Town Centre Station in Burnaby and the Fraser Valley. Here are its scheduled weekday trips from Lougheed (checked October 22, 2026):
| Getting off at | Scheduled trip | Slowest trips |
|---|---|---|
| Highstreet Exchange, Abbotsford | 39 to 63 minutes | 53 to 63 minutes, leaving 3pm to 5pm |
| McCallum Park & Ride, Abbotsford | 52 to 83 minutes | 71 to 83 minutes, leaving 3pm to 5pm |
These are bus times only. Add your SkyTrain ride between Lougheed and the campus area, plus the trip from home to the bus. If your class day ends mid-afternoon, your ride home falls in the slowest window.
If you drive, Highway 1 work zones can affect trips to either campus. Widening is under construction from 264th Street in Langley to Mt. Lehman Road, with full completion anticipated in 2029, and from Mt. Lehman Road to Highway 11, anticipated in 2031. A daily drive from east Abbotsford or Chilliwack to Burnaby passes through both.
How Commute Hours Add Up
As an illustration, a two-hour round trip five days a week adds 10 hours to your week. Over 88 weeks, that's roughly 880 hours, close to a third of the program's 2,751 hours, and time you can't spend on study, family or paid work. From Term 4, most terms also include two clinic shifts of four to five hours a week, and rotation schedules can differ from regular class times.
What the Campus Choice Means for Child Care
For parents, every hour of commuting is another hour of child care. Here's how to plan for it:
- Class days: usually Monday to Friday, in 6.5-hour sessions; your campus confirms exact hours when you enrol
- Your care window: a 6.5-hour day plus a two-hour round trip means at least 8.5 hours of care
- Clinic shifts: rotations can fall outside class times, with notice, so line up backup care close to home
- Funding help: "Attending school" is a qualifying reason for BC's Affordable Child Care Benefit, and families earning up to $111,000 may qualify
In practice, cutting commute time is one of the most direct ways to shrink your care hours and the stress of pickups.
Does It Matter Where You Plan to Work After You Graduate?
Yes, though less for wages than for your future client base. Both campuses sit in the same Job Bank economic region, Lower Mainland-Southwest, which covers Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
| Job Bank, massage therapists (NOC 32201) | British Columbia | Lower Mainland-Southwest |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage (updated November 19, 2025) | $43,600 | $46,400 |
| High annual wage | $81,000 | $85,000 |
| Job prospects, 2025 to 2027 (updated December 10, 2025) | Moderate | Moderate |
Job Bank also reports that 82% of BC massage therapists are self-employed, compared with 17% across all occupations, and 48% work part-time. That means most RMTs build their own caseload, so the community you know matters.
In later clinic terms, VACC students work on building a clinical following and generating referrals. Training close to where you plan to work lets you get to know that community early. Our breakdown of clinic splits and take-home pay shows what self-employment looks like in numbers.
Which Campus Fits Your Situation?
It depends on three things: where you live, your daily hours and where you want to work after graduation.
| Your situation | Look at first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You live in Abbotsford, Mission or Chilliwack and want to work in the valley | Abbotsford | A shorter daily trip, and clinic training in the community you plan to serve |
| You live in Langley | Both | You're between the campuses, so compare door-to-door times at your class hours |
| You work in Metro Vancouver now or want to build a practice there | Burnaby | Clinic training where you'd build your caseload |
| You want the earliest possible start | Whichever campus starts first | Each campus sets its own start dates |
Before you decide, take these steps:
- Ask each campus for its next start dates
- Ask for class hours and when clinic shifts usually run
- Test the commute at the times you'd travel
- Book a treatment at the student clinic on the campus you're considering
Choose the Campus Your Week Can Sustain
Both campuses lead to the same diploma and the same CCHPBC licence pathway, so the deciding factors are practical: your commute, your child care and where you want to build a caseload. Test the drive or bus ride at your real class hours before you commit.
Request more information about Vancouver Career College's Registered Massage Therapy program in Abbotsford and Burnaby, admission requirements, financial options and start dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does It Matter Which RMT School You Graduate From in BC?
What matters is accreditation. CCHPBC accepts BC graduates of programs accredited by CCHPBC or by CMTCA at the three- or five-year level, then all applicants take the same three-part licence exam.
Can You Take the Bus From Chilliwack to Burnaby?
Yes. BC Transit's 66 Fraser Valley Express runs from downtown Chilliwack through Abbotsford to Lougheed Town Centre Station in Burnaby. Weekday trips from Lougheed to downtown Chilliwack are scheduled at 83 to 121 minutes.
Can You Get a Student Massage in Abbotsford?
Yes. VACC's Abbotsford student clinic at 2121 Clearbrook Road offers 60-minute therapeutic massages with assessment, given by advanced students under instructor supervision. You can book online through VACC's student clinics page.
