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Administrative librarian education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an administrative librarian. Administrative librarians usually study library science, business, or history. 56% of administrative librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 76 real administrative librarian resumes to see exactly what administrative librarian education sections show.

The most common colleges for administrative librarians are the Appalachian State University and the Appalachian State University.

There are also many online administrative librarian courses to help get the education required to be an administrative librarian.

What education do you need to become an administrative librarian?

What degree do you need to be an administrative librarian?

The most common degree for administrative librarians is bachelor's degree, with 56% of administrative librarians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Associate, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an administrative librarian?

You should major in library science to become an administrative librarian. 20% of administrative librarians major in library science. Other common majors for an administrative librarian include business and history.

Most common colleges for administrative librarians

Administrative librarians often get their degrees at Appalachian State University, University of Pittsburgh, and Missouri State University. Here are the most common colleges for administrative librarians in the US based on their resumes.
Administrative librarian common collegePercentages
Appalachian State University9.09%
University of Pittsburgh9.09%
Missouri State University4.55%
Eastern Michigan University4.55%
University of California - Los Angeles4.55%

Best majors for administrative librarians

Best colleges for administrative librarians

The best colleges for administrative librarians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.

An administrative librarian with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for administrative librarians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become administrative librarians.

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

2. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,244

Enrollment

15,557

9. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for administrative librarians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for administrative librarians

The most affordable schools for administrative librarians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for administrative librarians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for administrative librarians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for administrative librarians

The hardest universities for administrative librarians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.

Some great schools for administrative librarians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for administrative librarians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,423

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for administrative librarians

The easiest schools for administrative librarians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an administrative librarian without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for administrative librarians.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average administrative librarian salary by education level

Administrative librarians with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $69,704 annually. With a Master's degree, administrative librarians earn a median annual income of $63,788 compared to $51,821 for administrative librarians with an Bachelor's degree.
Administrative librarian education levelAdministrative librarian salary
Master's Degree$63,788
Bachelor's Degree$51,821
Doctorate Degree$69,704

Administrative librarian education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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